


50 Shades of Grayson

by Worlds_Okayest_Speedster



Series: BirdFlash [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Fem!Wally, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 46,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5779234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Worlds_Okayest_Speedster/pseuds/Worlds_Okayest_Speedster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Boy Wonder meets The Fastest Girl Alive.  What could go wrong?  What could go right?</p><p>or: The one where Robin and Kid Flash fall head over heels for each other while being oblivious to the other's feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“So, why are we waiting on a rooftop again? Not that we don’t usually do this, but why this specific one?” Batman glanced at Robin before looking back to the city. The Joker was up to his old tricks again, but he had enlisted the help of another villain outside of Gotham.

“Flash said he’d run some info to us about that other villain Joker’s conspiring with. It won’t be long now. He’s never usually this late.” Just as he finished speaking, a yellow and red blur passed them on the rooftop, stopped, then backtracked. It stopped once again to reveal not Flash, but a kid around Robin’s age dressed in a yellow and red outfit similar to Flash’s. Their hair was a dark ginger, eyes the color of emeralds, and freckles dotting their exposed cheeks and across their nose. “Kid Flash. I take it Flash got caught up in something.”

“The media got to him, so he sent me as his messenger. Here’s that file you asked for.” Kid Flash grinned and handed over the file, crossing their arms over their chest and looking over at Robin. “If that’s all, I gotta get back home or my parents will kill me.” Batman nodded and turned away, Kid Flash grinning widely and lazily saluting to Robin before running back to Central City.

“...Who was that?”

“Kid Flash. Flash’s sidekick. You’ll meet them again.” Robin pursed his lips and nodded, following his mentor back to the Batcave. It wasn’t until a few weeks after that first meeting on the roof did Robin meet Kid Flash again, this time while their mentors talked with a few other members of the League. The duo stood off to the side, Kid Flash pouting slightly at not being involved.

“...What’s with the pouting?” Robin finally asked, crossing his arms. Kid Flash didn’t look at him, eyes trained on the adults.

“...Flash is my uncle, but sometimes… sometimes I feel like he doesn’t trust me enough with really important information.”

“Yeah, I feel that. It’s like they’re… underestimating us.”

“We’re still kids, though, so I guess it makes sense, but…”

“Yeah…” They both sighed, Kid Flash finally looking at Robin.

“I’m Wally, by the way. Wally West, but you can called me Wally or Kid Flash.” They grinned and held out their hand for Robin to shake. Robin glanced at it before smirking and shaking their hand.

“Robin. But I’m sure you already knew that.” He released their hand, tilting his head slightly. “So, you said Flash is your uncle? How are you related to him?”

“Oh! I’m his niece! My dad’s sister is his wife!”

“So, you’re parents… did your parents decide when you were born “Hey, let’s name our little girl Wally?” or something like that? Wally’s an odd name for a girl… not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m just curious.” Wally rubbed the back of her neck and looked away, suddenly looking a bit uncomfortable. Robin took note of this right away. “Look, if you don’t wanna talk about it…”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s just kind of a touchy subject and I usually don’t tell anyone… My parents wanted a little boy, but they got me instead. You think they’d be thrilled that they have me, I mean what’s not to love, am I right?” She chuckled humorlessly before clearing her throat and continuing. “I guess I didn’t realize they’d want me to be that perfect girl, y’know? Prom queen, prissy, wearing dresses all the time… Instead, they got the family disappointment. I’m more of a jeans and t-shirts girl, definitely a science nerd, not really planning on going to prom… pretty much the exact opposite of what my parents wanted.”

“...Oh…” Robin frowned slightly, looking over at where the adults were talking. “...Is that why you spend so much time with your uncle?”

“Um… I actually live with him now… He got me out of my parents’ house when I called saying I was scared and wanted to leave… It didn’t help that I decided to make myself worse in their eyes and recreate my uncle’s accident…”

“What happened that made you so scared?”

“...Let’s stop talking about this, alright? We’ve only just met officially and I’d rather not spill all my secrets just yet,” Wally said softly, turning away from Robin and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Hey, Kid! Let’s head back home! We’re done here!” Wally hummed and smiled slightly, pulling her goggles down over her eyes.

“Catch ya later, Robs.” With that, she was gone, racing after the Flash in a blur of yellow and red. Robin hummed in thought as he watched her go, contemplating the information she willingly gave to him and what else she could be hiding about her family.

“Robin, let’s go.” Robin shook himself out of his thoughts, following Batman back to his Batjet. He was silent the entire trip home, a thoughtful look on his face. “You seem distracted by something.”

“...What do you know about the West family in Central City?”

“What’s your interest in them all of a sudden?” Robin shrugged as he stepped out of the plane. Batman studied him for a few moments before heading over to the Batcomputer. “The West family consists of Joe West, Iris West-Allen, Barry Allen, Rudy West, Mary West, and Wally West. What do you need to know?”

“Any reports of… domestic abuse.” Batman glanced at him, but didn’t question him just yet, searching for what he wanted.

“There were several reports made by Wally West about her being beaten by her father, Rudy West, but she was dismissed as she was still young when she made them. The last one was made nine months ago and was brought to court after Barry Allen, Iris West-Allen, and Joe West all witnessed Wally being beaten in her own home. Wally now lives in the care of her uncle and aunt, Barry and Iris.” Robin frowned slightly, looking through the news report about it and the case files, now understanding why Wally refused to talk about it in further detail.

“...Looks like the reports came in more and more after this date… That must have been when she replicated the accident…”

“...If Wally wasn’t ready to tell you about this, you really shouldn’t pry into it.”

“I know, I just… She didn’t look like the type to be scared so easily, I just wanted to know what could have scared her into calling her uncle.” Batman sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“She’ll explain everything when she’s ready. For now, get some rest.” Robin nodded and let out a breath, heading out of the Batcave and back up to the manor. Morning came with a mission for Robin. “So… you want me to go all the way to Central City just to return some files to Star Labs that could just as easily be sent digitally?”

“Yes. This isn’t just about the files, though. You may find some more information about Wally’s past.” Robin pouted slightly before taking the files, dressed in civilian clothes and sunglasses. “Use the nearest zeta tube to get there. They’re expecting you soon.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. I’ll be back soon.”

“Take your time.” Robin pouted more, using a nearby zeta tube disguised as a broken phone booth to teleport to Central City. He walked into Star Labs, immediately being pointed to the elevator and told a floor. Once he arrived, he was met by a familiar face.

“...Oh! You’re delivering the files, Rob?”

“Wally? You work here?” She laughed and shook her head, taking the files from him.

“Nah, I just help out. Science nerd, remember? Also, this is where they helped Uncle Barry after the accident, so we’re all kinda close. C’mon, I’ve got some friends you’ll wanna meet.” Without waiting for an answer, she took his hand and dragged him down the hall, stopping in front of an open doorway to a lab. “Cisco, Caitlin! Those files just arrived!” A woman, Caitlin he presumed, smiled and hurried over, taking the files from Wally’s hands.

“Thank you, Wally. Who’s your friend?”

“This is Robin. Works under Batman and refuses to tell me his real name despite knowing mine.” Caitlin chuckled and held out her hand, Robin grasping it and shaking it slightly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Robin. I’m Dr. Caitlin Snow and over there messing with Barry’s treadmill is Cisco. Cisco! Come meet Wally’s friend!” The man working on the treadmill rushed over, nearly tripping on a nearby stool.

“Hey…! I’m Cisco Ramon Any friend of Wally’s is a friend of ours! Thanks for bringing those files, but I should get back to work.” And just like that he was rushing back to work, Caitlin walking away to finish her work as well.

“Stay as long as you like, Robin. Once Barry gets here, we’re actually going to run some tests if you’d like to stay and watch.”

“I’d love to, thank you.” Wally grinned and pulled him over to a couple stools near where Caitlin was working. He hopped up onto one of them, Wally hopping up next to him. The two watched her work, Robin occasionally asking questions while Wally would just point at something and receive an answer. Barry soon came running in, grabbing Wally and hugging her tight.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite niece!” She laughed and playfully pushed him away. He grinned, noticing Robin. “And Robin! What a surprise! Good to see you. Let’s get to work. The treadmill ready, Cisco?”

“Ready! Let’s get this started!” Everyone but Barry gathered near the window to the treadmill room as Barry began running.

“...So, what are you guys testing for?” Robin asked.

“We’re testing how fast Barry can actually run,” Caitlin said as she watched the speed rise on her monitor. “Vitals are normal, as always… Speed is increasing at an astonishing rate… Everything looks good.” The numbers continued rising, a flash of blue catching his eye. There was blue lightning mixed in with the usual yellow for the Flash. He was about to ask what that meant when he caught sight of Wally’s face. She was standing, face frozen in terror as blue reflected off her face. Cisco reached out to touch her, but she flinched away and ran off further into the building. “Shit… Barry, stop!” Caitlin said into a microphone, Barry slowing to stop and stepping into the lab. He shared a look with Cisco and Caitlin which tweaked Robin’s interest.

“...Why did Wally freak out like that after seeing blue lightning?” he asked, not even flinching when all three adults turned to him. Barry glanced at Caitlin who nodded towards the door. He nodded and ran off to find Wally.

“...Have you ever heard of Zoom, Robin?”

“The evil speedster? Yeah, why?”

“Well, his lightning was blue. When Wally was young and she had just found out about Barry being the Flash, Zoom kidnapped her and used her as a bargaining chip. He said he’d give Wally back if Barry gave up his speed. Barry was given 24 hours to think about it, and Zoom kept Wally with him all that time. She doesn’t remember any details, just the look of Zoom’s mask and the blue lightning, but seeing Barry make that color must have triggered those memories. Tread carefully and don’t tell her we told you any of this.” Robin frowned slightly, unsure how he felt about Wally not knowing he knew, but he nodded anyway.

“I won’t tell her anything. Though, you really shouldn’t keep the details a secret from her. She’s probably gonna find out one way or another.” With that, Robin walked out of the lab and down the hall the two speedsters disappeared to, peeking in every room he came across in hopes of finding at least one of them. He was surprised to catch a glimpse of a red sneaker under a desk in a darkened lab, though there didn’t seem to be any sign of Barry anywhere in the room. He cautiously stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and walking over to the desk, crouching down to see who was there. “Wally?” She jolted and scrambled backwards, back pressed against the cool metal of the desk, green eyes wide with fear. She stared at him for a few moments before her mind seemed to catch up, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

“...Robin?”

“Hey… It’s okay. You wanna talk about it?” he asked softly, sitting cross-legged in front of her and smiling slightly. “It’s alright if you don’t want to, but sometimes it helps to talk about it.” She swallowed and shook her head slightly. “Alright, no talking. We can just chill here until you’re ready to come out.” After a few moments of silence, Robin spoke up again. “Actually, you know what? I’m gonna talk. You don’t have to say anything, but I’m still gonna talk anyway.” And true to his word, Robin began to talk about anything that came to his mind, filling the silent room with chatter. Eventually, Wally began talking back, though in short sentences or one word. She crawled out from under the desk, taking Robin’s hand when it was offered, allowing him to pull her to her feet. “You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah… I’ll be fine. I’m actually gonna head home.”

“Let me walk you home. Is it far?”

“You don’t have to. I can just run back home.”

“Wally, you’re legs are shaking and I’m the only thing keeping you from falling over right now. I’m walking you home.” Wally opened her mouth to protest again, but sighed and nodded, slinging her arm around Robin’s shoulder so he could take her weight easier.

“Well, my home is kinda far from here.”

“Is there anywhere nearby I could take you and get you a ride?”

“My grandpa Joe works at the police station.”

“Police station it is.” He began leading her out of Star Labs, stopping when he saw Barry down the hall.

“Wally! Are you alright, kid?”

“Yeah, I’m good, Uncle Barry. Rob’s gonna walk me to the police station so Grandpa Joe can give me a ride home.”

“The news station is closer. Iris’ll give you a ride home.”

“Right… See you at home, Uncle Barry…” Robin continued leading her out of Star Labs, asking for directions to the news station. “...She’s gonna worry about me… I hate it when Aunt Iris worries…”

“We were all worried about you. Just so you know.”

“You hardly know me, though.”

“I know you a little better than you think, Wally.” She frowned slightly and looked at him.

“...What do you mean? What did they tell you?”

“No one told me anything. After that talk we had yesterday, I… may have looked into some records on your family.” She stopped walking and stared at him.

“You did what?”

“I was only curious… You don’t seem to be the type of girl to get scared so easily, so when you said you called your uncle out of fear I just… I just wanted to know what happened… I know now why you wanted to keep it quiet.” She bared her teeth and pulled her arm away from him, taking a step away from him.

“I can’t believe you. I trusted you with that information! I wasn’t ready to tell you that yet!”

“Wally, I-”

“Save it! I’ll get to the news station myself.” Before he could respond, she ran off, leaving him alone on the sidewalk. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, frowning and heading off to the nearest zeta tube.

“How’d your trip to Star Labs go?” Bruce asked when he returned.

“It was fine at first then I messed everything up…”

“What happened?”

“I stuck around since they were testing Barry’s speed, but then this blue lightning started appearing around him and Wally freaked and ran off. I found her and stayed with her until she calmed down, offered to walk her home. She said it was too far and to walk her to the police station to get a ride from her grandfather, but Barry said take her to the news station. She said she didn’t want her aunt to worry, I said we were all worried anyway. She said I didn’t know her and I kinda let it slip that I looked into her past. She got understandably mad and ran off on her own, so I came back here.” He took a deep breath and took off his sunglasses, looking up at Bruce with worried blue eyes. “And that’s what happened. In summary.” Bruce nodded and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“She does have a right to be mad at you… I’d give her some space, let her cool her head for a while.”

“Yeah, you’re right… She can’t stay mad at me forever, right?”


	2. Chapter 2

He couldn’t have been more wrong. A few months after the incident, Wally still refused to talk to him. Instead, she began talking with Green Arrow’s sidekick Speedy, giving Robin a strange feeling of - was that jealousy? - in his chest. Though, he had to admit that Speedy was a very likeable person. He even found himself making friends with him. They were all gathered at the edge of the water with their mentors, waiting for… something.

“What’re we doing here?” Wally asked, turning to her uncle for an answer. Flash chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately.

“You’ll see. Just be patient for a little longer.” Wally pouted, but obliged, crossing her arms and pointedly ignoring Robin’s eyes on her. A few minutes later, Aquaman stepped out of the water, another Atlantean behind him. “You two sure took your time.”

“Sorry about that. Kaldur’s friends wanted to say goodbye even though he’ll be back soon,” Aquaman explained, gesturing to the other Atlantean. He was about Wally’s age, dark skinned with striking pale green eyes. His light blond hair was buzzed down, fitting perfectly with his lean build. Wally’s eyes immediately drawn to the black eel-like tattoos adorning his arms. He smiled softly and looked around at the three sidekicks.

“It is nice to meet you all. My name is Kaldur’ahm, but you may call me Kaldur or Aqualad.” Speedy smiled and stepped forward, holding out his hand for Kaldur to shake.

“Speedy. It’s nice to meet you, Kaldur. Hopefully we can work together.” Kaldur shook his hand, shaking Robin’s hand next when he stepped up.

“Robin. Nice to meet you. Hope to work with you in the future.” Robin smirked and glanced back at Wally, his smirk fading when she was looking anywhere but him.

“It is very nice to make your acquaintance. And, if I may ask,” Kaldur said, walking towards Wally, “what might your name be, my lady?” Wally blinked and blushed lightly at being called a lady, smiling shyly and holding out her hand.

“Kid Flash. But you can call me Wally… o-or Kid Flash, KF, Kid, whatever you’d like, Kaldur.” Kaldur smiled and took her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. Her cheeks flushed red, a soft giggle escaping her lips. Robin frowned and looked away, jealousy rising in his chest again. Kaldur lowered her hand and placed his other hand on top of hers.

“I look forward to working with you, Wally.” Her blush seemed to intensify, Wally red up to her ears at this point. Kaldur finally released her hand and stepped away, allowing Wally to place her hands on her cheeks as he turned away to walk back towards his mentor. Speedy smirked and nudged her, Wally grinning and shoving him playfully, unaware of Robin’s clear distaste for what he just saw.

“If introductions are finished, we have some League issues to discuss with each other. Why don’t you four get to know one another? Might be good for you guys to have some friends. Especially you, Wally,” Flash said, laughing at the look Wally shot him. Nevertheless, she took his advice and started talking to Speedy again, leaving Kaldur and Robin alone to talk.

“...I can sense that you are not happy with me. May I ask why that is?” Kaldur asked, looking down at Robin. The boy wonder didn’t answer, intently watching as Speedy showed Wally how to shoot a bow. “Ah, I see. You are jealous. I apologize for the way I greeted her, then. I did not realize your feelings towards her.” At this, Robin turned to him, eyes wide behind his domino mask.

“What?! I-I don’t have feelings for her!”

“...Then why do you insist on glaring everytime Speedy so much as smiles at her?”

“...”

“You are in denial. That is fine. Why not go talk to her, if you are so eager to watch her from afar?”

“...We’re… not exactly on the best terms right now…”

“Oh? What has happened to cause such a rift?”

“She told me some things about her past, but left some details out. I was stupid and looked into those details without waiting for her to tell me when she was ready to.” Kaldur nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly.

“Have you tried apologizing?”

“She’s avoiding me.”

“Well, perhaps I may be of some assistance. I will talk with Speedy which will give her no other option but to talk to you.”

“That’s… actually not a bad idea. Thanks, Kaldur. I’m sorry if I came off as rude,” Robin said, smiling sheepishly.

“It is not a problem. I am glad we could work it out between us. If there is anything else you would ever like to talk about, Robin, you may call upon me and I will listen.”

“Thanks…” Kaldur nodded and smiled, removing his hand from Robin’s shoulder and walking over to Speedy and Wally, placing his hand on Speedy’s shoulder and leading him away to talk. Wally watched them go then looked around, huffing and frowning when she realized she and Robin were the only ones left. Robin walked over to her quickly, stopping a couple feet away. “...Hey.”

“...” She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away, but didn’t make a move to run. Clearly, she was listening.

“I… I know what I did a few months ago was wrong and I should’ve waited for you to tell me, but… I was trained by the World’s Greatest Detective, y’know? Getting all the facts is kinda what we do. A-Anyway, what I mean to say is… I’m sorry, Wally. I won’t do it again, I promise. Can we be friends again? Please?” He held out his hand to her, watching and waiting. She didn’t make a move at first, Robin worried she had rejected him. She glanced over her shoulder at him, turning slowly and grasping his hand.

“Friends.” He smiled and gripped her hand tightly. “But don’t let it happen again or I may not forgive you.”

“You got it, KF. So, without turning red at the sight of him, have you officially met Kaldur?” Hands still grasped together, Robin led her over to the older sidekicks, laughing as he cheeks were dusted with pink. It seemed like much too soon before they were all called back to their mentors to go home, Wally grabbing Robin’s wrist before he got too far.

“Hey… Come visit Central City sometime. I’ll give you the grand tour.” Robin blinked then smirked.

“Only if you come to Gotham. I know all the best places to hang out.” She laughed and let him go, waving and hurrying off with her uncle. Robin watched her go before hurrying over to Batman, a soft smile on his lips the whole ride home.

“Where are you going?” Robin stopped, hand on the front doorknob as he looked over his shoulder at Bruce. Wally and Robin spent a few days planning their excursions to each other’s home cities such as where to meet and when they could make plans.

“Central City. I told you, Wally and I are gonna hang out there for the day.”

“What if I need you in an emergency?”

“Then call me back. I won’t abandon you just because I’m out with a friend. Don’t you know me by now, Bruce?” Bruce sighed and dismissed him, Robin grinning and hurrying out the door towards the nearest zeta tube. As promised, Wally was waiting for him right outside of it.

“Hey, Rob! Ready to go?”

“Totally. Lead the way.” Wally grinned and took his hand, leading him around the city and pointing out popular spots.

“...And this is the police station where my grandpa works. Come on, you should meet him.” Without waiting for an answer, she pulled him inside and ducked into the back offices, looking around at all the people working. “Hmm…”

“Wally! What brings you here, kiddo?” She turned and grinned, releasing Robin’s hand to hug her grandfather.

“Grandpa Joe!!” Joe smiled and kissed the top of her head, hugging her close. “I was just showing a friend around Central City.”

“Oh?” Joe pulled away from Wally and looked at Robin, almost studying him. “And what’s your friend’s name?” Robin took a deep breath and held out his hand, smiling slightly.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir. You can just call me Robin.” Joe took his hand and shook it firmly.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Robin. I suppose I can trust you to take care of my granddaughter?”

“Grandpa, no! It’s not like that!” Joe laughed and ruffled her hair, releasing Robin’s hand.

“I’m just messing with you, Wally. Barry’s upstairs in his lab if you want to go say hello.”

“Okay. See you later, grandpa!” She smiled and took Robin’s hand again, leading him upstairs and into the CSI lab. “Uncle Barry!” Barry looked over at the doorway, smiling when he saw who it was.

“Hey, kid. Showing Robin around the city?”

“Yep! He just met grandpa Joe who tried to intimidate him…”

“No surprise. You are his only granddaughter. Anyway, I can’t really talk right now. Got a lot of cases to work on, so I’ll see you back home.”

“Alright, bye Uncle Barry. See you.” She waved and pulled Robin out of the building. “Okay, where have we not gone?”

“Well, I haven’t met your aunt yet,” Robin said, smiling slightly. “She works at the news station, right?” Wally perked up and grinned widely.

“You’re right! She’s gonna love you! C’mon, the news station is this way!” Robin laughed as she dragged him down the street, quickening his steps so he could keep up better. She suddenly stopped outside of a building, Robin looking up to see it was their destination. “Wait here. I’m gonna make sure she’s not on her break or anything.” She released his hand and hurried inside, talking with the person at the front desk, nodding a few times before heading back outside. “Change of plans! We’re going to Jitters instead!”

“Jitters?” Robin asked as he was pulled along again.

“Jitters! Only the best coffee shop in Central City! Aunt Iris always takes her break there!” It was a short walk to Jitters, Wally spotting her aunt through the front window and dragging Robin inside. “Aunt Iris!” Iris looked up and smiled widely, waiting until Wally and Robin were seated across from her before speaking.

“Hello, Wally! What brings you here?”

“Showing my friend around the city! It’s not a tour if we don’t come to Jitters. I was also looking for you! I’ve been introducing him to the family!” Iris smiled and looked over at Robin, holding her hand out.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Iris West-Allen.”

“Robin. It’s nice to meet you too,” he replied, shaking her hand gently.

“I’m gonna go get us something to drink. You’ll love it, trust me!” With that, Wally hopped off her seat and hurried in line, bouncing a bit and looking at the menu. Iris chuckled a bit and shook her head.

“She’s quite something for a 13 year old, huh?”

“Yeah… Where does all that energy come from?”

“It’s in the West family blood. Her father and I were trouble for our parents with how much energy we had. She’ll grow out of it and learn to slow down a bit, though.” Robin hummed in thought and nodded slightly. “So, tell me. What has you so… attracted to her?” Robin blinked then blushed lightly and looked at her, eyes wide behind his sunglasses.

“W-What? Why does everyone think that?” After a small pause, he looked a bit sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. “...Is it really that obvious?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Have you thought of telling her? She seems to like you too.”

“Yeah, but she acts like that around everyone. Speedy, Kaldur, those scientists at Star Labs…”

“That’s very true…” Wally finally returned, placing a mug in front of Robin and taking her seat again. “Wally, please don’t tell me you got yourself the Flash drink with extra espresso.”

“Of course not! What do I look like, a madman? Or, madwoman, I guess.”

“I don’t think you want me to answer that. You’re only 13, don’t end up a caffeine addict like your uncle.”

“Hey, if it happens, it’s his fault and you know it. Besides, it’s just the really great hot chocolate they make here.”

“I see. Well, I need to get back to work. I’ll see you home for dinner.”

“Yup. See you, Aunt Iris.” Iris smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately.

“Make sure you’re home by 4, okay? I don’t want you out by yourself for too long.”

“Aw, c’mon, Aunt Iris…!”

“Wally, you’re 13.” Wally huffed but agreed, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “Good. See you at home.” She nodded, setting her mug down as Iris left.

“...Your aunt seems nice,” Robin said, swinging his feet slightly and sipping his hot chocolate. “Also, this is really great hot chocolate.”

“Thanks! By the way, how old are you?”

“I’m 11.”

“Huh… I thought you were younger. But maybe it’s just because you’re short!”

“Hey!” Robin smirked and shoved her lightly, earning a laugh and a shove back. They hung out a Jitters until it grew close to four, Wally walking Robin back to the zeta tube.

“I’ll let you know when I can come visit Gotham! Though, it can’t be that great if there’s no Jitters hot chocolate,” she teased, laughing when Robin punched her shoulder.

“I’ll be waiting. See you around, Wally.”

“See you.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not watched Season One in a while so I'm kinda pulling what I remember and what I can find about the episodes on the wiki, so sorry if they're not accurate, but I'm gonna change things in later chapters/episodes eventually to fit my narrative.

“Hey, Rob! Miss me?” Wally grinned and slung her arm around Robin’s shoulders, looking down at him with vibrant green eyes. “I dunno why you brought me all the way out here, but I can’t stay long. Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris are throwing me a birthday party. Speaking of which, you are cordially invited to be my plus one.”

“I brought you out here to give you your birthday present.”

“Oh really? Why couldn’t you give it to me at the party?”

“Because this is something I have never given anyone else before.” He had her interest now, her arm dropping from his shoulders as she stared at him. “You ready?” She nodded, all her attention on him. “Okay. You ever hear about the Flying Graysons?”

“The circus act? Yeah, I think so.”

“Well, then you should know that all of them were murdered. All except one little boy. He was taken in by a billionaire and trained to be strong enough to find his family’s murderer.”

“Cool story, but where is this going?” Robin let out a breath and turned towards her, holding out his hand.

“My name is Dick Grayson.” She blinked, seeming to process this for a moment before staring at him wide eyed.

“You’re…?”

“Yep. Though, you can’t tell anyone my real name. I’m not even supposed to tell anyone.”

“This… is the BEST birthday present ever! I’ll keep it between us, I promise! But we seriously gotta go or Aunt Iris will kill me for being late to my own party. Are you coming with?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She grinned widely and pulled him close.

“Hang on tight.” Robin dug his fingers into her sweatshirt, squeezing his eyes shut as she ran back home. She stopped outside her house, releasing him and heading inside. Robin followed after a small recovery time, looking around the decorated living room. Wally was being greeted by family and friends, Barry ruffling her hair and looking over at the door.

“Robin! Come in and join the party!” Robin smiled slightly and stepped further into the house, introducing himself to those who don’t know him. Wally was excited to introduce him as her friend, pride practically radiating off of her when she was praised. Robin chatted with her relatives, a bit surprised to be introduced to the first Flash Jay Garrick and his wife.

“How long have you known Barry and his family?” Robin asked, sitting on the couch with Jay.

“I met Barry a bit after he had his accident and gained his powers. I helped him understand how his speed worked and how to control it.”

“And how long have you known Wally?”

“I’ve known her since she was an infant. She was always absolutely fascinated with Barry’s speed, always saying ever since she could talk that she was the Flash’s biggest fan.” Jay chuckled and shook his head. “Imagine her surprise when she found out who the Flash really was.” Robin smiled and looked over at where Wally was talking with her family, a wide grin on her face. “She’s lucky to have you as a friend, young Robin. For someone so bright and energetic, it’s hard for her to make friends.”

“Really?” Jay nodded, watching as Wally hurried over and grabbed Robin’s hands.

“C’mon, Rob! Time for cake!” Robin laughed and got to his feet.

“Alright, alright. Lead the way.” She grinned widely and pulled him into the kitchen, not bothering to let go of his hand. Cake was cut and passed out, presents opened and the party continuing for a few hours until it started getting late and guests were leaving. “I gotta head home. Thanks for inviting me, Wally.”

“No problem, Rob!”

“I’ll run you to the nearest zeta tube, Robin. Don’t want you walking through Central in the dark and getting lost,” Barry said, placing a hand on Robin’s shoulder. “You better be in bed by the time I get back, Wally! You have school tomorrow!”

“Aw, okay!” Barry chuckled and grabbed Robin, running out of the house and dropping him off at the closest zeta tube.

“You gonna be alright getting home yourself from here?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks. Bye, Barry.” Robin waved slightly and hurried into the zeta tube, vanishing and reappearing in Gotham near Wayne Manor. He hurried up to the front door, opening it and closing it quietly, looking around. Not seeing Bruce anywhere, he stepped quietly towards the stairs.

“Where have you been?” He froze halfway up the stairs, slowly turning around to see Bruce standing at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed.

“...Wally’s birthday party?”

“It went on this late?”

“The West-Allens know how to throw a party. I honestly wasn’t expecting it to go on that long.” Bruce sighed and uncrossed his arms.

“Just make sure to call next time. Now get some sleep, you have school in the morning.”

“Alright. Goodnight.” Dick smiled and hurried up to his room, letting out a breath as he closed the door. Wally had been so happy that he had agreed to come to her party, showing him off to her relatives, and even holding his hand for a good portion of the night. He was in way too deep with this.

“Today’s the day! You excited as I am?!” Wally asked, practically vibrating with excitement as they walked into the Hall of Justice roughly a year and a half after her 14th birthday.

“I don’t think anyone is as excited as you are, KF. Let’s try to tone it down. There’s news camera watching our every move,” Robin said, smirking slightly and crossing his arms.

“No promises, but I’ll try.” She grinned and walked by his side into a library looking room, taking in her surroundings.

“Make yourselves at home!” Kaldur, Wally, and Robin all took the only three seats in the room, leaving Roy to stand. “This place is completely available to you guys, so feel free to use it as much as you’d like.” Green Arrow said, smiling at the four sidekicks. Roy frowned and crossed his arms.

“So after all that waiting and anticipation, we just get a glorified tour of the Hall. I can’t believe this.” The League members frowned slightly and glanced at each other before looking at Roy, the other three sidekicks staring at him too.

“Roy, what’re you talking about? We’ve all been waiting for this day forever,” Wally said, worry in her eyes. Roy scowled at her then glared at their mentors.

“Are you kidding? All we’ve gotten is backstage access to a tourist trap!” he said, gesturing up to the windows where people were taking pictures of them. “This isn’t even the real headquarters for the League! This is just a front to cover up that they have a Watchtower in space. That’s the real headquarters.” All eyes turned to Green Arrow, Flash crossing his arms and Batman giving him a disapproving look.

“...What? I thought he was ready to know.” The other three sidekicks looked at each other, unsure of how to feel about this information that was withheld from them.

“Unfortunately, the Watchtower is for League use only. You four aren’t ready to become full fledged members just yet,” Batman said.

“I am ready to be a full fledged member! I’m the oldest out of the sidekicks! I’ve been ready!” When his outburst was met with silence from the League, he growled and threw down his cap. “I’m tired of being treated like a sidekick. I quit. And if you three were smart,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at the younger sidekicks, “you’d do the same.” With that, he was gone, everyone staring after him. Before anyone could say a word about what just happened, an incoming transmission from Superman appeared on the screen with the image of a burning building.

“Batman, there’s been an emergency. There’s a fire at the Cadmus facility.” At the same time, Zatara appeared on screen, requesting full League response to an attack by Wotan. “...The local authorities have the fire under control. We’ll be on our way as soon as we can, Zatara.” Both transmissions ended, Batman looking to the other three sidekicks.

“Stay here. We’ll be back once this is all settled.” Batman turned and used the zeta tube in the Hall, the rest of the League members present following. Kaldur looked at his friends, disappointment evident on his face.

“...I cannot believe my king did not trust me enough to tell me about the Watchtower.”

“I thought Batman let me in on every secret! Apparently not!”

“He’s my uncle! Why wouldn’t he trust me with that?!” Robin frowned, looking over at the computer and humming in thought before smirking.

“Well, how about we solve their case before they do?” Robin suggested, getting to his feet and starting to access the computer. “Whatever this Project Cadmus is, it must be important if the League was worried about it being on fire.” He tried searching for it in the League database, pursing his lips when it was locked. “Hmm… Nothing I can’t handle though.” He easily hacked into the system to unlock the file, Wally and Kaldur standing behind him. “It just says it’s a genetics lab… There must be something more if the League is interested. Let’s go find out. Prove we’re more than just sidekicks.”

“So wait, are you saying you’re going? Cause if you’re going, I’m going!” Wally and Robin grinned, looking at Kaldur expectantly. Kaldur looked at the two before sighing and smiling slightly.

“I suppose I have no choice. Let’s go.” The trio hurried over to the Cadmus location, rescuing any scientists as they made their way inside. Kaldur looked around, frowning when he saw a horned silhouette enter an elevator. Wally noticed where he was looking, frowning in confusion.

“I wonder why the elevators haven’t been locked down…” Robin hummed and pulled up the building schematics on his wrist computer, frowning slightly.

“There shouldn’t be an elevator in here anyway. This is a two story building…” The trio walked towards the elevator doors, Kaldur prying it open and looking down the shaft. “So that’s it… It’s an express elevator!”

“Looks like it goes down pretty far… This must be the Cadmus that the League was worried about,” Wally said, peeking down at the seemingly never ending elevator shaft. Robin used his grappling hook, jumping down the shaft and letting the rope run down with him. Soon, it came to a stop at the 26th sub-level, Robin looking up at Wally and Kaldur hanging onto his rope.

“I’m at the end of my rope.” He swung over to the small ledge, shuffling over and holding out his hand to catch Wally when she jumped as well. Kaldur jumped over last, prying open the doors and stepping inside. Robin stepped in as well, blinking when a yellow and red blur zipped by them.

“Kid, no! It could be dangerous!” Kaldur called out, watching as Wally stopped in the middle of the hall, quickly running to the side when huge monstrous creatures came stomping through the hall. She let out a breath and ran back to her friends. “Please try and be more careful.”

“Sorry… What were those things, though?”

“I dunno, but it’s probably nothing good. Let’s keep moving. See if we can find anything.” Robin led the way through the halls, making sure they stayed out of sight of any of those creatures. Eventually, they found themselves inside some kind of power room, more of those strange creatures generating power for the real Cadmus, keeping it off the grid. Robin plugged his wrist computer’s usb into the control panel in the center of the room, downloading any information on the creatures. “Looks like these things are called Genomorphs… looks like they were made for various reasons. Stealth, strength, speed, energy…! These are basically living weapons! There’s also something in here about a Project Kr, but a lot of it is heavily protected and I can’t get through…”

“Kr… That’s the symbol for Krypton on the periodic table,” Wally said, frowning in thought.

“Hey, what’re you kids doing here? Do your mentors know you’re here?” All three sidekicks turned to see Guardian standing nearby, looking confused with a G-Gnome on his shoulder and a few other Genomorphs behind him. “Look, you guys really shouldn’t be here. Let me take you back upstairs and-” Suddenly he stopped talking, the horns on the G-Gnome on his shoulder glowing red. He became aggressive, commanding the Genomorphs behind him to attack. Robin threw down a smoke pellet, grabbing Wally’s hand and fleeing with her and Kaldur.

“...I think we lost him,” Wally said, looking behind her shoulder for any sign of Guardian. “Which is great, but where did we end up?” Robin looked around with a small frown, noting the oddly colored walls before his eyes fell on a huge metal door.

“...Let’s find out what’s behind door number one.” He easily hacked into the system, unlocking the door and stepping inside. Inside the room was a control panel and some kind of pod set up. Robin approached the pod, looking up and noting what was on it. “Project Kr… This is what I saw on those documents.”

“Uh… You guys might wanna look at this…” Wally pressed a button on the control panel, the pod lighting up to reveal what looked like a younger Superman. Robin and Kaldur stared at him in wonder.

“Woah…” Robin whispered.

“Should we… let him out?” Wally asked, fingers hovering over the buttons and keys. Robin and Kaldur looked at each other before nodding. She nodded as well, pressing a few keys and watching as the pod’s door opened and the Superman clone fell out, Kaldur catching him so he didn’t hit the floor. He released him when the clone woke up and stood on his own feet.

“Do not be afraid. We are here to help you.” The clone glanced at the three of them before growing violent, attacking the trio. Wally moved out of the way when he came for her, trying to keep moving so he couldn’t hit her, but to no avail. He grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, banging her head against it until she fell unconscious. Robin noticed the G-Gnomes that were in the pod were glowing, frowning and turning his attention back to the clone just in time to have Kaldur thrown at him. They both fell to the ground, Kaldur out cold and dead weight on top of Robin. The clone walked over and stared down at him before raising his foot and knocking him out.


	4. Chapter 4

_...Wake… _

 

_...You must awaken, young heroes… _

 

_ Awaken! _

 

Wally gasped and opened her eyes, looking around confused before her eyes settled on the clone, Superboy, outside the pod she was in.  She heard noises from either side of her, glancing to her left and right to see Robin and Kaldur waking up in their own pods.  She let out a relieved breath to see them okay, turning her attention back to the clone that was just staring at her.

 

“...Um… Why is he staring at me like that?” she stage whispered to Robin, not taking her eyes off of Superboy.  Robin shrugged the best he could with his arm bound above his head, looking at the clone.

 

“ _ He  _ can talk,” Superboy said, narrowing his eyes slightly at Wally.  Both Robin and Kaldur looked at her.

 

“...What?  It’s not like I called him an it…”

 

“It is nice to meet you, although I would have preferred it to be under better terms.  My name is Kaldur’ahm, but you may call me Kaldur or Aqualad.  These are my friends Robin and Kid Flash.  What may we call you?”  The clone stared at Kaldur for a few moments before looking away.

 

“...Superboy.”

 

“Very well, Superboy.  If you would like, would you please tell me about your… upbringing here at Cadmus?”  Superboy studied him for a moment, glancing at the two other sidekicks to see them watching and listening eagerly.

 

“...The G-Gnomes taught me in my pod.  They taught me how to read, how to write, about the outside world.  Everything I would need to know.  And about Superman…”

 

“Well, there’s more to the world outside these metal walls, Superboy,” Robin said, smiling slightly.  Superboy growled and glared at him.

 

“No!  Cadmus is my home!  Cadmus gave me life!”  Wally hummed in thought, pursing her lips slightly.

 

“Well, have you ever seen the sun?”  Superboy shook his head.  “Hmm… We could show you that when we get out of here!  Though, now that I think about it, it’s probably almost midnight, so… we could show you the moon!  And!  We know Superman!  We could introduce you to Superman!”  Superboy paused and calmed down slightly, tilting his head at Wally and studying her carefully as if to see if she was lying to him just to get out.

 

“...You can introduce me to Superman?”

 

“Yeah, totally!”

 

“Don’t listen to them, Superboy!  They can’t introduce you to Superman.”  The sidekicks all looked over at the door to see Dr. Desmond standing there, a scowl on his face.  “Dr. Spence, start the cloning procedure.  Guardian, escort the clone back to its pod.  Dubbilex, download their memories.  We’ll make clones of them and send the clones back to the Justice League as spies for us.”

 

“What about the originals?” Guardian asked, glancing at the three sidekicks.

 

“We’ll dispose of them once we’re finished with them.”  With that, Desmond left the room, Dr. Spence starting the cloning procedure as Guardian led Superboy back to his pod.  Needles came from inside the sidekicks’ pods, stabbing into them and shocking them repeatedly.  As Superboy was walking away, he heard Kaldur’s voice in his head, asking for help in exchange for meeting Superman.   _ What would Superman do? _  Superboy narrowed his eyes and broke out of the G-Gnome’s control, shoving Guardian away and making his way back to the sidekicks.  He tore the metal door off its hinges throwing it to the side.  Robin managed to free himself, breaking the glass to the pod and hopping out, quickly getting to work on freeing Wally.  Meanwhile, Superboy had freed Aqualad, ripping the cuffs off of him.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” Robin asked softly, helping Wally out of the pod and placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.  We should probably go, though.”  He nodded and took her hand, turning to run out the door with her when he spotted Desmond waiting for them.

 

“And where do you think you’re going?  You there!  Clone!  Get them back in the pods!”  When Superboy didn’t move, Desmond snarled and glared at them.  “Did you hear me?  I said get them back in their pods!”  Robin smirked and glanced back at Wally.

 

“Looks like Superboy’s coming with us.  Catch you later, doc.”  Robin turned and threw three bombs at the pods, blowing the containers filled with their DNA.  As smoke filled the room, the sidekicks made their escape with Superboy, Robin’s hand still locked in Wally’s.  They could hear Desmond screaming for the genomorphs to find them.  “There’s the elevator!”  Robin said, pointing with his free hand.

 

“Yes, and it seems Desmond has sent genomorphs to meet us,” Aqualad said as a horde of genomorphs blocked the way to the elevator.  The four sidekicks stopped in their tracks, taking in how many genomorphs there were.  “What do you propose we do about this?”

 

“There’s way too many for us to take on by ourselves, even with my speed and Rob’s intelligence and Kaldur’s strength…”

 

“What should we do, then?”  Kaldur opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Superboy rushed forward and began taking out the genomorphs before them.  “...Okay, that’s one way to do it.  Let’s go, quickly.”  Robin tugged on Wally’s hand, making his way through the path Superboy gave them to the elevator.  He shot his grappling hook up the elevator shaft, wrapping his arm around Wally’s waist as Kaldur called out to Superboy to come back.  She wrapped her arms around Robin’s neck as he kicked off the edge of the elevator door and began their ascent back to freedom.

 

“...I can’t fly…?”  Wally glanced down at Kaldur and Superboy, grabbing one of Robin’s batarangs and tossing it down into the wall so Kaldur could grab onto it.  She let out a breath and pressed her cheek against her arm, glancing up at Robin and smiling slightly.  They managed to climb to sub-level 15 when they were flushed out by an elevator barreling towards him.

 

“Okay, so we nearly had death by elevator.  Now where do we go?”  Superboy tilted his head slightly as if listening to something before starting to run down the hall.

 

“This way!”  The three sidekicks glanced at each other before shrugging and deciding to follow Superboy, seeing as how they had no other ideas.  It wasn’t long until they came upon a dead end, Robin looking up and pointing at the air vent.

 

“They’ll probably try and flush us out through here too, but I have a plan,” Robin said, smirking and messing with something on his wrist computer.  They managed to fool Desmond and escape out a different air vent, Wally finding the stairs and grinning.

 

“See you at the top!”  She pulled her goggles down and saluted before running up the stairs, taking out any genomorphs as she went along.  Robin and Kaldur followed, Superboy taking the rear and destroying the stairs as they went up so they couldn’t be pursued.  As Wally neared sub-level 1, she noticed that there was a closing door, trying to slow down, but crashing into it with some of her speed anyway.  “Ow!  Okay…  This is bad.”  Her teammates caught up to her, Superboy and Kaldur trying to pry open the door while Robin tried to hack into it.

 

“Are you okay, Wally?  No blood?”

 

“No blood.  I’m fine.  Even if there was a mark, it’ll be gone in a couple hours.”  She turned around when she heard footsteps, eyes widening when she saw Guardian and a bunch of genomorphs.  “Guys, we got company!”  The G-Gnomes’ horns began glowing, forcing Kaldur, Robin, and Wally to sleep.  When they came to, Guardian and Superboy were gone as well as the genomorphs.  The sounds of a battle could be heard above them through the hole in the ceiling.  Wally groaned and got to her feet, shaking off the grogginess and looking up at the hole in the ceiling.  She glanced at her friends, the trio nodding at each other before making their way up to the ground level to help Superboy fight.

 

“Wow, Desmond got even uglier.  Let’s take him down.”  Wally smirked and adjusted her goggles, darting forward to try and take him down, but was knocked aside.  Robin threw a few exploding batarangs, but to no avail.

 

“We just seem to be making him angrier.  Robin, if you would please come up with a plan and quickly,” Kaldur said, jumping into the battle to hold off Blockbuster.  Robin nodded and stayed out of the way, looking at schematics of the floor they were on to try and come up with a plan, and fast.

 

“Wally, here!” he called out, pointing out the pillars on the schematics and showing her his plan.  “Distract Blockbuster and get him to destroy one of the pillars.  Aqualad and Superboy will destroy two more and then you’ll lead him back into the center of the room and we’ll electrocute him.  After he’s distracted again, I’ll destroy the last pillar and bring the whole building down on him.  Got it?”  She nodded.  “Good.  Get to work.”  She grinned and nudged his shoulder before running off and throwing a rock at Blockbuster.

 

“Hey!  Over here!”  She stuck her tongue out and pulled her lower eyelid down, laughing and running towards a pillar when Blockbuster began chasing her.  She hid behind it, rushing away when he smashed it and keeping him distracted while Aqualad and Superboy destroyed two more pillars.  She rushed into the center of the room, standing on the edge of a pool of water on the floor and grinning.  Superboy knocked him down while Aqualad electrocuted him, Wally rushing over to Robin as he blew the last pillar.  She crouched down and wrapped an arm around Robin to try and protect them from falling rubble, Kaldur and Superboy hurrying over to cover them.

 

“Is everyone alright?” Kaldur asked as they climbed out of the ruins, looking over everyone to ensure they were alright.  Everyone managed to get away with only minor bruises and a few torn clothes.  Wally nodded and looked up at the sky, nudging Superboy and pointing.

 

“Look, Superboy.  Told you we’d show you the moon.”  Superboy looked up, narrowing his eyes as he noticed a few specks moving closer and closer, revealing themselves to be the Justice League.  “Oh boy… We’re in for it now,” she muttered under her breath, her hands on her hips as she shifted her weight and looked away.  Once the League landed, Superboy stepped forward, a determined look on his face.

 

“I’m a clone of Superman,” he said, shocked looks being shared throughout the league.  Batman frowned and looked and the group of children.

 

“Talk.  Now.”


	5. Chapter 5

“...They’re talking about us.  I just know it,” Wally said, shifting anxiously where she was standing.  Robin hummed in response and glanced at her, blinking and blushing lightly.

 

“Uh, KF?  Your uh… Your suit.  Right here,” Robin muttered softly, trying not to draw attention to them as he pointed at her chest.  She blinked and raised her arm slightly, looking down and blushing a bright red.  Her suit had torn and exposed part of her bra, revealing it to three teenage boys.  She quickly lowered her arm and crossed her arms to hide the tear, shifting a bit more and looking away.

 

“Thanks… So, um… If I’m not grounded until I’m 20, after this would you like to go get some coffee at Jitters sometime?  I mean, if neither of us are confined to our respective cities for eternity.”  Robin blinked then smiled slightly and nodded.

 

“Sure, but… what brought this on?”

 

“We haven’t really hung out much without a third party.  Also we nearly got crushed by an elevator and a mutated doctor all in one day.  We deserve at least one day of being normal teenagers.”

 

“I’d like that,”  Robin smiled and looked over when some of the League members walked over, Batman at the lead.

 

“What you three did was irresponsible and dangerous.  You could have lost your lives and endangered those around you,” Batman scolded, the three sidekicks looking away.  “Not only did you hack into the League database, you destroyed Cadmus.  You three will  _ not  _ be doing anything like this again.  You will stick with your mentors and will never go off on your own without supervision.”  Wally frowned and huffed through her nose.

 

“This is what we were trained to do, though!  We were trained to save lives and fight evil!  Isn’t this what you guys wanted from us?”

 

“Kid Flash is right.  I am sorry, my king, but you have told us we are not ready, yet you do not give us the chance to prove it.  This is what we have done tonight,” Kaldur said, standing his ground with Wally.  Robin agreed and stood tall, narrowing his eyes slightly.  Superboy took a few steps forward, glaring at the League.

 

“We’re a team.  Either get on board or get out of the way,” he growled, glaring at them and standing protectively in front of the sidekicks.  Batman stared him down before glancing back at the other defiant sidekicks.

 

“I’ll think about it.  Head home and get some rest.  All of you.”  With that, Batman turned and started walking away.  Robin sighed and relaxed slightly, glancing up at Wally.

 

“I’ll let you know about the Jitters thing.  Go home and fix your costume.  See you later.”  Robin patted her shoulder and hurried to follow Batman.  She watched him go before looking over at her uncle, noticing the disapproving look on his face and looking down.  Kaldur rubbed her back and smiled reassuringly.

 

“We had a great victory today, Kid.  Do not let anything else that happens tonight let you forget that.”  She nodded and squeezed his shoulder before letting him go, looking up when Superboy walked over.

 

“I uh… don’t know you very well, but… your friends seem to care about you.  I kind of wish I had something like that.  People who care about me.”  She blinked then smiled and touched his arm.

 

“We care about you, Superboy.  You and I have something in common already, after all.”  Before Superboy could question her, there was a call of “Wally!” from the Flash.  “Gotta go!  Hopefully I’m not grounded forever!  See you around, Superboy!”  She grinned slightly, though it seemed forced, her goggles pulled down over her eyes as she ran over to her uncle.  Her grin faded when she got close to her uncle, playing with her fingers and avoiding eye contact.  “...I’m in major trouble, aren’t I?”  Flash frowned and uncrossed his arms.

 

“We’ll talk when we get home.”  She nodded and pouted, looking off to the side.  Flash softened a bit and ruffled her hair, leaning down to whisper to her.  “Don’t tell your aunt I said this, but… what you did was pretty cool.  I’m proud of you.  But as far as your aunt knows, I am not proud of you and you are probably grounded.”  She giggled and nodded, smiling slightly and hugging him.

 

“Thanks, Uncle Barry…”

 

“No problem, kid.  C’mon, let’s get home so Iris can yell at both of us.”  She laughed and smiled widely, pulling away and glancing at Superboy, saluting before running off with her uncle.  Once they got back home, Wally let out a breath and pulled her cowl off, stepping inside with tense shoulders and Barry’s hand on her back.

 

“Walice Laila West!  You are in big trouble, young lady!”  Wally flinched slightly and tensed up more, hands instinctively coming up to protect her face.  She squeezed her eyes shut as footsteps approached her, flinching again when her hands were forced away, though she blinked and opened her eyes when she felt arms wrap around her and hold her tight.  “I’m just glad you’re okay…”  Wally blinked then hugged her back.

 

“Sorry, Aunt Iris…”  Iris pulled away slightly, frowning a bit wiping some dirt off Wally’s cheek.

 

“What were you three thinking?  Running off like that without any adults… You could have been hurt, or worse!”

 

“I know, Aunt Iris.  Batman gave us the talk before we came home.  What’s my punishment?”

 

“Hmm… Well, seeing as how you’re back alive and unhurt… What do you think, Barry?”  Wally looked over at her uncle, pouting slightly.

 

“To be fair, she was doing it to prove she and the other sidekicks were ready to be treated like League members.  I say we let her off easy.  Three days no TV and mandatory STAR Labs work after school?”  Iris hummed in thought before nodding and gently stroking Wally’s hair.

 

“Three days with no TV and you have to do whatever Cisco and Caitlyn ask you to do at STAR Labs.”  Wally nodded and relaxed slightly.  “Don’t ever do anything like that again, okay?”

 

“Okay… Am I allowed to go to Jitters with Rob sometime, though?”

 

“Alright, but I want you to let me know when you get there and when you’re leaving.”

 

“Yes, Aunt Iris.”  Iris smiled and nodded, kissing her forehead before sending her off to bed.  Wally let out a breath and changed into pajamas, stretching and pulling out her phone, flopping on her bed and texting Robin.

 

**KF [1:20]:** _ so how bad? _

 

**Robs [1:20]:** _ not too bad.  thankfully not confined to gotham for all eternity.  gotta train extra hard tho.  You? _

 

**KF [1:21]:** _ no TV for three days and mandatory STAR labs work during that time after school.  meet on day four which is a saturday for jitters? _

 

**Robs [1:21]:** _ sounds good.  i’ll make the attempt to get out of training for that day. _

 

**KF [1:22]:** _ great!  see you then!  goodnight! _

 

**Robs [1:22]:** _ goodnight wally _

 

Three days passed and the small team of sidekicks was called to the League’s old headquarters.  Wally rushed in and smiled when she spotted her friends, hurrying over and standing beside them.  Robin smiled and nudged her shoulder slightly, Kaldur nodding at her politely, and Superboy glanced at her and raised his hand in greeting.  She grinned and waved back, turning her attention back to the adults when Batman walked over.

 

“Since you four have decided to form your own team, we’re allowing you to use the League’s old headquarters as your own.  Although you will be your own team, you will be working on League terms only.  I will provide your missions.  Black Canary has agreed to supervise your training, and Red Tornado will remain here to supervise any activities within and outside of these walls.  Is that understood?”  The four sidekicks nodded, Wally grinning at the prospect and working with her friends more often.  “Good.  Now, as your are a team and are working under the League, we would like to introduce you to someone who will be joining you.”  He looked to the side, the teens’ eyes following to see Martian Manhunter and another martian.  “This is Miss Martian.  She’s Martian Manhunter’s niece and will be working in your team from now on.”

 

“Hello!  I’m M’gann M’orzz!  But you can call me by my earth name Megan Morse!  It’s nice to meet you.”  Wally grinned and rushed forward, holding out her hand eagerly.

 

“Hey, I’m Wally West!  Also known as Kid Flash, but you can call me Wally.  It’ll be nice to have another girl around.”  Wally glanced back at the boys before leaning forward and stage whispering loud enough for them to hear, eyes still trained on them.  “If you haven’t noticed, we’re outnumbered by gross boys.”

 

“I heard that, KF!”

 

“You were supposed to, Robs~!  You won’t get Jitters with that kind of sass~!”  She giggled and led M’gann over.  Robin let out a breath and shook his head, looking up at M’gann.

 

“I’m Robin.  It’s nice to meet you.  And ignore Wally.  She’s probably the least girly person I’ve ever met.”

 

“Rude!  No Jitters hot chocolate for you!”  Robin smirked and stuck out his tongue, Wally doing the same.  Kaldur shook his head and smiled fondly.

 

“I am Kaldur’ahm, but you may call me Kaldur or Aqualad.  Our quiet friend over here is Superboy.”  Superboy glanced at her, but didn’t say anything, looking away again.  Wally frowned slightly and nudged Superboy, nodding towards M’gann with a pointed look.  Superboy glanced from Wally to M’gann, sighing softly before straightening up a bit, but remaining silent.

 

“Um…”  He glanced at M’gann again, blinking when she transformed her shirt and cape into a black shirt.  “I like your shirt…”  He blinked again then smiled slightly.  Wally grinned and nudged him playfully.

 

“We’ll let you five get to know each other.  Let Red Tornado know if you need anything.”  With that, the League members left, Flash grinning and ruffling Wally’s hair.  Superboy hummed and looked over at her, walking over and speaking quietly.

 

“Can I… ask you something?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening in on them.

 

“Yeah, sure.  What’s up?”

 

“When we got out of Cadmus, you said we had something in common already.  What did you mean by that?”  Wally blinked then grinned widely and laughed a bit.

 

“I just meant that like  _ you’ve  _ never had this many friends before and neither have I!  For the longest time, Rob was my only friend and then I met Roy and Kaldur.  And now I have you and M’gann!”  She grinned and patted his arm.  “Thanks a lot!”

 

“Hey, KF!  Don’t you have work to do?” Robin called out, Wally gasping and covering her mouth.

 

“Oh no!  I completely forgot I had to get back to STAR Labs!  See you guys later!  Gotta go, bye!!”  She ran to the zeta tubes, using her speed to make it to STAR Labs.  “I’m sorry I’m late!  I had to meet up with the team to see our new headquarters and then we got a new team member and we were told to socialize and ugh I lost track of time!”

 

“Barry is always late, too.  Must be a speedster thing.  Anyway, you just have to sit here and watch these monitors.  Let us know if anything comes up, okay?” Caitlyn said, leading her over to her seat.  Wally nodded and sat down, leaning her cheek into her palm and watching all the monitors in front of her, calling on her uncle or Cisco and Caitlyn every time there was an alert.

 

“Alright, kid, let’s get you home.  Your punishment is officially over.”  Wally gave a tired cheer, standing and stretching her arms above her head.  Barry chuckled and walked with her out of STAR Labs.  “C’mon, Iris is making your favorite tonight.”  She smiled and let out a breath.

 

“Race you home, Uncle Barry!”  She laughed and ran off, laughing more when Barry called her a cheater and rushed after her.  “Snooze ya lose!”  Barry chuckled and managed to pass her, mockingly saluting her before rushing to the front door.  “Aw, you always win.”  He chuckled again and ruffled her hair before heading inside, Wally close behind.  “We’re home!”

 

“Welcome home.  Dinner’s on the table, so wash up and sit down.”

 

“You got it, Aunt Iris!”  She grinned and ran off, washing up before running back to the table.  After dinner, she took a shower and changed into pajamas, checking her phone before heading to bed.

 

“Wally, why does it matter what you wear?  I thought you were just getting coffee with Robin.” Barry said, leaning against her bedroom doorway with an amused look.

 

“I  _ know _ !  But I still don’t wanna look like I dragged myself out of school for this!”  Wally pouted and held up another outfit in the mirror.  “You just don’t understand, Uncle Barry.”  Iris walked by, pausing and pursing her lips.

 

“Barry, you’re not helping.  Leave and let me handle this.”  Barry held up his hands and walked off, still laughing softly to himself.  Iris rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her, walking over to Wally.  “What seems to be the problem, honey?”

 

“I’m meeting Rob at Jitters, but I don’t know what to wear…”

 

“Ah, yes.  Your uncle wouldn’t understand anything like that.  Let’s see what we have here… You’ll want something casual but still nice.  And I doubt you’ll want any makeup.”

 

“Ew, no.  So what do you suggest?”  Iris smiled and dug through her closet, pulling out an outfit and holding it in front of Wally so she could see.  “Oh… That could work.  Thanks, Aunt Iris.”  Iris smiled more and kissed the top of her head.

 

“You’re welcome.  Now hurry up and get dressed or you’ll be late.”

 

“Agh I can’t be late!”  She grabbed the outfit, smiling and using her speed to get change, checking her hair in the mirror before turning and kissing Iris’s cheek.  “Bye, I’ll be back later!”  With that, she ran out the door, stopping at Jitters and letting out a breath, fixing her hair in the mirror before heading inside.  She quickly texted Iris to let her know she arrived before sitting at one of the upper tables, watching the door and nervously chewing on her thumbnail.  Every time the bell above the door rang, she looked over, hoping to see Robin walk in.

 

“Waiting for someone?  You really should be aware of your surroundings.”  She jumped and looked over, coming face to face with a smirking Robin.  “Sorry I’m late.  Training went longer than expected and then I had to shower so I wasn’t gross.”

 

“Well that makes me feel a little better about all the time I spent getting dressed.”  She grinned and relaxed slightly.  “So, should we have our usual Jitters drink?”

 

“I think the last thing you need is coffee.  Hot chocolate is fine.”

 

“Great!  Wait here, I’ll get it.”  She grinned widely and headed downstairs, soon returning with their hot chocolates.  “I’m back with the greatest hot chocolate ever.  So how strict has Batman with you since our little… adventure?”

 

“He’s pushing me twice as hard in training now.  I don’t know how much longer it’ll last, but I think he’s starting to forgive us for disobeying orders.”  She nodded and grinned slightly, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.  “What about you?”

 

“I got off kinda easy.  I was banned from TV for three days and just had to help out a little more at STAR Labs.  Uncle Barry is a rule breaker too, so I think Aunt Iris is used to it.”  She laughed softly.  “Anyway, what else has been going on besides punishment?”

 

“Well…”  She listened intently as Robin talked, a soft smile on her lips.  She blinked when her phone went off, checking it and sighing softly.

 

“Duty calls.  Catch ya later, Rob.”  She grinned and finished off her hot chocolate, heading out of Jitters and running off once she was outside.  Robin sighed and shook his head with a fond smile, getting an alert that he was needed back in Gotham.  As he was making his way to the nearest zeta tube, he spotted the Flash and Wally being interviewed by Iris.  He caught Wally’s eye and waved a bit, smiling slightly.  She grinned and waved back as he disappeared into an alley.

 

“Catch you later, KF.”


	6. Chapter 6

“You know, I’m glad we have a 50/50 split between guys and girls, but… does it have to be  _ her  _ that makes it even?  Who even is she?” Wally grumbled, crossing her arms.  Artemis had recently joined the team, claiming to be Green Arrow’s niece, but Wally wasn’t buying it.

 

“Remind me again why you don’t trust Artemis?” Robin asked, an amused smirk on his face as he hacked into enemy computers.  “She hasn’t done anything suspicious and you’re the only one that doesn’t seem to like her.”  Wally huffed and nibbled on a protein bar.

 

“I can tell you right now that Green Arrow has one sister and she does not have any kids, so there’s something weird going on here.”  She pouted and looked around to make sure they weren’t going to be ambushed.  “So if GA’s sister didn’t have any kids, where did she come from and why is Arrow covering for her?”  Robin hummed and reached over, gently papping her cheek.

 

“You’ll get some answers eventually.  For now, we have to go.  I got the info we need.”

 

“Yep.  On it.  Let’s meet up with Kaldur and the team.”  She got to her feet and stretched, finishing off her protein bar and tossing the wrapper.  Robin unplugged from the computer and stood, heading up to the roof of the building with Wally so they could be picked up.  “Kaldur, we need pick up pronto,” she said into her comm link, blinking when she heard noises behind them.  “We got company.”  The duo turned around to face their enemies, Wally smirking and rushing forward, darting around one of the tougher looking enemies.

 

“Careful, KF!  Just hold them off until the team gets here!” Robin called as he beat down a few people.

 

“I’m always careful!  Just wa- Woah!!  Hey, put me down!  This isn’t how you treat a girl!”  The brute snarled and bared his teeth, before smirking.

 

“Oh, I’ll put you down, alright.”  With that, Wally was tossed over the edge of the building.  Robin’s eyes widened and he vaulted over the edge of the roof, diving after her.  He reached out and grabbed her waist, shooting his grappling hook so they’d stop falling, stopping only a couple feet from the ground.  Wally blinked and looked at him, her arms locked around his neck and his arm around her waist, keeping them pressed against each other.  She blushed and smiled slightly, pressing a light kiss to his cheek.

 

“My hero.”  Robin blushed as well, opening his mouth to speak when they were suddenly swarmed with news crews asking them questions.

 

“Kid Flash, Kid Flash!  How long have you and Robin been together?”

 

“Do Batman and the Flash know about this?”

 

“What were you two doing in Central City alone?”

 

“Robin, when did you first ask Kid Flash on a date?”

 

“Kid, Robin, get in, quickly!”  Kaldur’s booming voice overcame all the reporters’ voices, the bioship appearing and the hatch opening.  Robin kicked off the building, passing Wally over to Conner before swinging back over and jumping on himself, the team quickly flying away from the scene.  Wally let out a breath and patted Conner on the shoulder.

 

“Thanks…”  Conner nodded and let her go, patting her shoulder back gently before walking away.  Robin made a move to ask if she was alright, but was cut off by an angry voice.

 

“ _ What  _ were you  _ thinking _ ?!  All you had to do was get in, grab the info, and get out!  But,  _ no!   _ You just  _ had  _ to make a scene!  You must get it from your upstart uncle!  You speedsters are all alike, aren’t you?!” Artemis ranted, getting in Wally’s face and gesturing wildly, almost hitting the young speedster a couple times.  When she finished her rant, anger still clear on her face, she paused and took in Wally.

 

“....”  The speedster had brought her arms up to protect her face, covering her expression.  Her breathing was a bit heavier and her shoulders were trembling.  Slowly, as if moving too quickly would get her in more trouble and still blocking her expression, she brought one hand up and lowered her goggles over her eyes, staying still and silent.  Conner and M’gann watched on, confused by Wally’s reaction while Kaldur and Robin kept a careful eye on her movements.  Artemis frowned slightly and reached out, placing a gentle but firm hand on one of Wally’s arms.

 

“...Wally?  Are you-”  Artemis was shoved away, a blur of yellow and red streaking by into a corner away from everyone.  Wally was curled up as small as she could get, knees tucked against her chest and face still covered by her arms.  Her breathing was soft, but ragged and slowly starting to pick up, her entire body trembling at this point.  M’gann tried to talk to her, but was only met with Wally pressing herself further into the corner.  Kaldur frowned and looked at Artemis, speaking softly to her.

 

“We will talk about this later.  What you did was not okay.”  Robin nodded his agreement, tucking away in another corner to get through to Batman.

 

“Was the mission successful?” was the greeting he got.

 

“Yes, but we need damage control at the base.  Tell Barry we’ve got a code yellow.”  Batman paused in thought before answering.

 

“Understood.  I will meet you there as well to find the source and fix it.”

 

“Okay.  See you there.”  He sighed and ended the transmission, speaking to Kaldur next.  “Damage control will be ready at the base.  What should we do in the meantime?”

 

“...She most likely will not want anyone touching her, but perhaps you can get her to talk and calm down if only a little.  If she does not want you doing these things, back off immediately.”  Robin nodded and carefully walked over to Wally, stopping a bit away from her and kneeling down, starting to speak quietly to her.

 

“What’s going on here?” Conner asked, frowning and crossing his arms.

 

“I will explain what I can when we get back.  For now, you must not approach Wally,” Kaldur said, looking over when Robin came back over.  “She does not want anyone near here for the time being.”  The ride back to the base was tense and silent, save for the soft, distressed sounds coming from Wally.  Once they arrived, Kaldur quickly ushered the team off of the bioship, allowing Barry to run on and find his niece.

 

“Robin, are we going to get an explanation now?” M’gann asked, worry evident in her eyes.  Robin frowned slightly and glanced over at his mentor who was making his way over.

 

“Wally West is a delicate case.  When she was younger, she was physically and verbally abused.  After Flash managed to remove her from the toxic environment, she used to have panic attacks like these often,” Batman said, bringing up Wally’s file to show them.

 

“So, she’s been like this before?  How bad does it get?” Conner asked, tensing when Wally screamed but then quieted down.  The team looked to see Barry carrying her out of the bioship, rubbing her back and muttering reassurances, all while Wally mumbled and sobbed that she didn’t mean it and she’d do better and be better.  Once the speedster duo were gone, Batman continued.

 

“We had her medicated and seeing Black Canary for therapy for a while, but when she showed improvement over the last couple years, we’ve stopped both of those treatments.  She’ll be going back on medication now.  Who triggered her panic attack?”  Artemis frowned guiltily and raised her hand.  “Come with me.  We need to have a talk.  Kaldur, come with us as well.  Wally West will not be joining you on missions until we get her on some kind of treatment.  Dismissed.  Robin, send me that info you retrieved later.”

 

“Can I-”

 

“Yes.  You’re dismissed for the night.”  Robin relaxed slightly and let out a breath.  He glanced at M’gann and Conner, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“I uh… should probably go make sure she’s okay.  See you guys tomorrow.”

 

“Robin, will you tell her we’re here for her?” M’gann asked.

 

“Of course.”  He nodded then waved and hurried over to the zeta tubes.  He changed into civvies back at Wayne Manor before heading over to Central City, finding the West-Allen house with ease and knocking on the door.  The door opened, revealing Barry himself.  “...How is she?”

 

“She’s calmed down, but I’m worried she’ll relapse.  Why don’t you come in and tell me what happened.”  He nodded and stepped inside, sitting on the couch between Iris and Barry.

 

“We had just finished our mission and got into a little fight with some baddies.  Wasn’t too bad until one of them threw Wally off the roof.  I jumped down and saved her and a bunch of news crews started crowding where we were hanging and asking questions when the team finally picked us up.  Everything was fine until we got onboard and Artemis started yelling at Wally for making scene as if it was purely her fault.  She got a little too close and Wally fell into a panic attack.  She did that thing where she would hide her face and pull her goggles down real slow and then when Artemis touched her, she ran into the corner.”

 

“I see… But what I don’t get is what was said that pushed her to the edge,” Barry said, frowning in confusion.  “She’s been yelled at before and hasn’t had a panic attack.”

 

“...Did her parents ever say anything about you when they would yell at her?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“Artemis was saying how she must have gotten her need to make a scene from her, and I quote, ‘upstart uncle’ and that all speedsters must be the same.  I think that’s what pushed her over.”  Barry paused then nodded and got to his feet.  “I wouldn’t worry about scolding Artemis.  Batman and Kaldur have that covered.”

 

“Thanks, Robin.  If you’d like to see her before you go, you’re welcome to.”  Robin nodded and got to his feet, heading upstairs and walking until he got to a door decorated with various Justice League member symbols.  He took a deep breath before knocking softly.

 

“Wally?  It’s me.  Can I come in?”  Silence.  “I can come in through the window, you know.”

 

“...Ew, stop.  You can come in, creeper.”  He smiled slightly and opened the door, stepping in and closing it behind him.  “Hey, Grayson…”

 

“You must really be feeling bad if that’s what you’re calling me.  Speaking of… How  _ are  _ you feeling?”  She shrugged and sat up, running her fingers through her hair.

 

“Could be worse, could be better.  I take it Kaldur is telling Artemis off as we speak?”

 

“Batman, too.  Oh, and M’gann says that she and Conner are here for you if you need them.”  She nodded and let out a breath.

 

“And for missions?”

 

“You’re excused for missions until they get you on some kind of treatment.  Batman’s thinking of giving you those meds again.”

 

“Great… Anyway, I should probably get some rest.  Thanks for taking care of me.”  Robin let out a breath and leaned in, kissing her cheek lightly before getting to his feet.

 

“Feel better, KF.  We’re nothing without our resident speedster.”  She blinked and watched him go, raising a hand to lightly touch her cheek.  The next day, she was allowed out of the house and able to go to the team’s headquarters.

 

“Hey, what’s going on?” M’gann asked, floating over to the rest of the team.  “What are we watching?”

 

“Wally,” Robin said, not taking his eyes off the sight in front of them.  Wally was dressed in tight workout capris and a sports bra, darting towards Black Canary with her fist raised.  “They’ve been going at it since we got here.  She’s lost a few times but she won’t stop.”  Black Canary caught her fist and pinned her.

 

“That’s enough, Wally.  Take a break before you exhaust yourself.”

 

“I want to keep going.”

 

“You haven’t eaten anything today.  Hit the showers, get changed, and go eat something.”  Wally huffed but begrudgingly agreed, getting to her feet and stalking off to shower.

 

“Woah, what’s with her?” Conner asked as they watched Wally go.

 

“It’s a thing she goes through after a panic attack.  She gets angry and tries to let it out any way she can,” Robin explained, sighing when there was a crash from somewhere in the base.  “Speaking of letting anger out…”

 

“She will calm down eventually.  In the meantime, why don’t we make her something to eat?” Kaldur suggested, already walking towards the kitchen.

 

“I’m gonna make sure she doesn’t break anything important.  I’ll catch up.”  Robin waved before walking in the direction Wally disappeared to, noticing that the showers weren’t running, but someone was still inside.  “...Are you decent?”

 

“...Yes, but you still can’t come in.”

 

“Fair enough.  How’re you feeling?  Better now that you’ve let out some anger?”

 

“Yes.  But I don’t like feeling so angry.”

 

“It’ll pass.  You’ll start feeling whelmed again in no time.”  He smirked slightly, hearing her groan.

 

“Seriously, what is it with you and that whelmed thing?  Where’s everyone else?”

 

“Making you food.  Ready to come out?”  Wally pouted and walked out of the showers, a sports bag slung over her shoulder.  “Good.  Let’s get going.”  She followed him down the hall, pouting slightly.  “So… Are we just going to ignore the fact that you kissed my cheek and I kissed yours or…?”

 

“Yeah, I was wondering when we’d be talking about this… It’s not something major.  I do it to people I care about.  And you also stopped me from being a yellow and red smear on the ground, so that’s a plus.  There’s not much else to talk about.”

 

“Wally, I-”

 

“Stop talking about it.  Please.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to keep building the tension between these two. Now featuring foreshadowing and the most heartwrenching episode of season one.

“Attention, Team!  The Earth is under attack.  You are our only hope.”  The Team stood and watched the transmission, wincing when Red Tornado was disintegrated just like the other Justice League members.  Wally frowned and looked away, biting her lower lip slightly.  She had watched the news broadcast from Central City.  She had watched as her aunt and uncle were disintegrated live on TV.  Robin frowned as well, nudging her slightly and offering a small reassuring smile.

 

“It seems we must take action.  Directly attacking these invaders does not seem to have any effect and would result in our deaths as well.  We need a different plan,” Aqualad said, addressing the Team and glancing around at their ragtag group of sidekicks.  Robin hummed in thought, bringing up a projection of the globe and typing on his wrist computer.

 

“Maybe we can find a stray ship and figure out how to destroy them first before going after all the rest…” he mumbled as he worked on tracking extraterrestrials around the globe, stopping and pointing at one lone dot in the Arctic.  “There.  That’s near Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.  We can go after that one.”  Aqualad nodded and ushered the Team to the bioship.

 

“Everyone get into snow camouflage.  We do not want to be spotted by our target.”  Suit buttons were pressed, Superboy pulling on different clothes and M’gann simply morphing her clothes appropriately.  Wally poked at her chest insignia until her outfit turned white and pale blue, humming and leaning back with crossed arms.

 

“Hey.”  She glanced over at Artemis before looking ahead again.  “I get that you’re still upset over losing whatever family you had, but you seriously can’t let that distract you.  Besides, aren’t we your family, too?  After everything we’ve been through?”  Wally blinked and glanced at her again before smiling slightly.

 

“Thanks… I know I don’t act like it, but… you’re one of my best girl friends.  You get me, in a weird way.”  Artemis smiled slightly and let out a soft breath.  Soon, they arrived in the Arctic, everyone hurrying off and taking their positions, the lone ship approaching.  M’gann and Artemis crept forward, M’gann using her telekinesis to disable the ship’s communications and propulsions, Artemis sealing the hatch with foam so the aliens couldn’t escape.  Aqualad attacked from below, nearly getting shot by the cannon before Superboy and Wolf pushed him out of the way.  Robin scanned the cannon and quickly looked it over.

 

“Miss Martian!  Superboy!  Detach the cannon!  Quickly!”  Superboy jumped onto the ship and began pulling with M’gann’s psychic help, failing to notice the small blast forming behind him as the cannon was detached.  Wolf shoved him out of the way, taking the blast himself, much to everyone’s shock and dismay.  Superboy shook it off and grabbed the cannon again, urging M’gann to keep helping him.  They manage to disconnect it, carrying it over to the bioship so they could connect it.

 

“I’m going to decloak the ship.  It’s the only way the transfusion will work,” M’gann explained as she decloaked the ship and starting the transfusion.

 

“Two more incoming!  Look out!” Wally cried out, grabbing Robin and moving him out of the way when they shot at.  Artemis scowled and shot the two ships down, smirking slightly and turning back to the Team.  “Artemis, behind you!”  Wally let go of Robin and rushed forward, ignoring the calls of her teammates behind her as she roughly shoved Artemis aside, glancing back at Robin as she took the cannon blast.

 

“Wally, no!!” Robin screamed, trying to scramble to his feet as he heard M’gann cry out for Wally as well, but Superboy held him back, not wanting to lose another teammate.  Aqualad glared and scowled, destroying the ship.

 

“That was for Wally.  Let’s get moving to the Hall of Justice.  We may be able to find more solutions there.”  As silent as death, the Team boarded the bioship.  M’gann sobbed softly as she piloted, mourning the loss of a dear friend while Robin festered in his own anger.  As they approached the Capitol, they noticed the army fighting against three ships.  Superboy growled, using the anger he was feeling from Wally’s loss to destroy one of the ships, the bioship destroying the other two.  Aqualad talked with the general for a bit, explaining their plan to use the aliens’ own weapons against them.  After a brief consultation on the plan, they regrouped at the Hall of Justice.  Robin frowned at the ruins of his former mentor’s statue before turning his attention to the Flash’s, walking over and muttering an apology.

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her…”  Behind him, he could hear M’gann sobbing again, glancing over to see her crying over her uncle’s statue.  Suddenly, she gasped and lifted the statue, revealing the Martian Manhunter himself.

 

“Uncle J’onn!  You’re alive!” she cried, hugging him tight.

 

“M’gann… Thank goodness you are alright.  All of you.  Though, I can’t seem to remember how I got here… I remember getting hit by a blast, but…”

 

“Maybe you were density shifting while it happened and your memory is just scrambled a bit!” M’gann suggested, smiling and no longer crying.  Robin blinked, an idea coming to him.  He analyzed the cannon again, perking up and smiling widely.

 

“Of course!  There’s Zeta-Beams all around this thing!  Do you realize what this means?  It means no one was disintegrated!  They were simply teleported elsewhere!”  The room filled with excited chatter, though it was soon silenced when more aliens converged on them.  Aqualad ushered everyone to the teleporter.  Martian Manhunter began permitting the sidekicks and a few civilians through first, though one at a time.  As Robin was being put through, the door burst open and the aliens were upon them.  Aqualad and Superboy provide defense, Superboy soon dragging a wounded Jason Bard through the teleporter with him.  Aqualad growled a bit and carried Martian Manhunter over to the teleporter, pushing him through just before he was hit with a blast.

 

“...Okay, since Aqualad is… gone, I’ll be taking charge.  Since we’ve figured out that no one is dead and were simply teleported somewhere else, we just have to figure out where,” Robin said, bringing up a map.  “Our best bet would be the mothership hovering over Smallville.  “Superboy, you’ll need to be a distraction.”

 

“You can’t-!” M’gann protested.

 

“M’gann, Aqualad would have just sacrificed himself if he were here.  And he’s already done so.  Now we have no leader.  Superboy?”

 

“...I’ll do it.  It’s what Superman would do.”  Robin nodded and went over the rest of the plan before making one more request.

 

“We need to make sure the world and whoever is left in it knows that there are still heroes out there fighting for them.  I’ll set up a broadcast and we’ll send out a broadcast before we leave.  Any objections?”  No one said a word.  “Good.  Let’s get this over with and then we can leave.”  He got each remaining member of the Team to speak, letting them inspire the world and reassure people that they were still there before ending the broadcast.  “Let’s go.”  They flew off to Smallville, Robin sending Martian Manhunter and M’gann ahead to sneak past security.  Superboy jumped off the ship, distracting and destroying multiple turrets, allowing Artemis and Robin to sneak aboard.  Unfortunately, Superboy couldn’t hold off the attacking ships and turrets, ending up being hit by a beam.

 

“No… Conner…” M’gann mumbled, collapsing to her knees and sobbing.  Martian Manhunter clutched his head slightly before shaking it to clear his thoughts.

 

“Robin, I… I am afraid that we were wrong about the beam.  It is in fact a disintegration beam.”  Robin stared at him with wide eyes before glaring.

 

“What are you talking about?!  What about the Zeta-Beams?!  They have to be alive!   _ She  _ has to be alive!  I promised to protect her!  I’ll prove you’re wrong!”  Robin scowled and growled a bit, furiously tapping away at his wrist computer, repeatedly doing the same scan over and over.  There were no signs of any humans onboard.  “I… I don’t understand.  She was supposed to be here.  They all were…”  Artemis frowned worriedly and raised a hand, bringing it down harshly across Robin’s cheek.

 

“Get ahold of yourself!  We can still save millions more people and her sacrifice won’t be in vain if you just get it together and finish the mission!”  Robin blinked and placed a hand on his cheek.

 

“Y-You’re right… The only thing we can do is destroy the mothership.  Come on, the core is this way.”  Once there, Robin began planting explosives.  “Okay… Let’s get out of here before we’re caught.”

 

“Uhm, Robin?  It’s too late for that…” M’gann said, finding them surrounded.  Robin scowled and glanced at Artemis, the two nodding.

 

“M’gann, you and Martian Manhunter get out of here!  We’ll meet up with you after we blow the doors!”  Martian Manhunter took the hint, grabbing M’gann and carrying her out of the ship.  Robin glanced at Artemis again, her expression saddening.  Artemis swallowed and wrapped an arm around him, the bombs blowing and taking them with the mothership.  M’gann watched with tearful eyes as the last of her teammates were blown to bits.

 

“We won, but… I’ve lost all my friends… The League is gone… What will we do now, Uncle J’onn?”  She looked up only for her expression to turn into horror as a second mothership arrived.  “Uncle J’onn, you need to get out of here!”

 

“I am sorry, M’gann.  I have finally remembered what I am here to do.”  Before she could question him, he stabbed his hand through her chest, killing her.  M’gann gasped and sat up, one hand clutching at her chest.  She looked around, breathing a bit heavily.  She noticed her teammates were not dead and very much alive.  Alive and confused and very afraid.  Wally had arm arms looped around both Robin’s and Kaldur’s necks, hugging them as they hugged her.  From the way her shoulders were shaking, Wally was crying.  Artemis watched from a bit away, looking relieved and allowing the original three to have their moment.

 

“Martian Manhunter, do you know what went wrong during the exercise?” Batman asked, stepping towards the kneeling and panting Martian.  Before he could respond, Robin interjected.

 

“Exercise?  What exercise?”  Batman frowned slightly at his question.

 

“I had Martian Manhunter devise a telepathic dreamworld in which you would all fulfill a mission.  You were aware that this was just a simulation, but what we did not tell you was that you were doomed to fail from the start.  The reason none of you, aside from Wally although hers was brief, grieved over the Justice League or Wolf because you all knew it wasn’t real.  However, that changed when Wally died.  Miss Martian’s subconscious took over and took command of the exercise.  As a result, you all began to think that what was happening was real, and Wally was trapped in a coma.  To stop the scenario from getting any worse, we sent Martian Manhunter into the simulation, but because of Miss Martian’s emotions, he was overwhelmed and could not regain a clear mind until everyone except Miss Martian was killed.  We then had to shock her into waking up and freeing the others from their comas.”  He paused, letting the Team take in that explanation before continuing.  “I’m sorry about what happened in there.  It will not be happening again.  And Miss Martian, I’m sorry to have put you through something like that.”  M’gann sobbed and let her tears fall, leaning over and crying into Captain Marvel’s chest.

 

“Batman, I am afraid that we have underestimated M’gann.  While she is untrained, her raw power is much more powerful than mine,” Martian Manhunter said softly, Batman frowning again and glancing over at the crying Martian.  He nodded before addressing the Team again.

 

“Once you all feel up to it, head home and get some rest.  Tomorrow, you’ll all start therapy sessions with Black Canary to discuss what you all saw and experienced in the simulation.”  With that, Batman left with Martian Manhunter.  Wally let out a shaky breath, releasing Kaldur when he pulled away and gently patted her shoulder.

 

“I must leave you, my friends.  I… need some time to reflect on our recent… excursion,” he muttered before leaving.  Artemis got up and said something about having to go home and sleep, patting both Robin’s and Wally’s shoulders as she passed.  Conner had already disappeared to his room.  Wally let out another breath, raising her head and wiping her eyes.

 

“I need to get home and see everyone.  Make sure they’re alright…”  Robin paused then nodded and got to his feet, offering her his hand.  She hesitated, staring at his hand then glancing up at him.  “If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind just… staying the night?  I think we both need to make sure we’re okay after all that…”  He blinked then smiled slightly and nodded, taking her hand.

 

“I’d like that.  Let’s get you home.”  She nodded and relaxed, smiling just a bit and allowing him to lead her home.  Once home, she opened the door and stepped inside, pulling Robin in with her.  Her uncle and aunt were sitting on the couch, alive and well and happy to see her home.  She blinked a few times, tears forming and falling.  Barry was up and over her instantly, pulling her close.

 

“Hey, hey, kid… What’s wrong?” he asked, rubbing her back and frowning worriedly as she started to sob.  He glanced at Robin who sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

 

“That simulation exercise… Something went wrong in it.  You and Iris died, but that was originally part of the simulation.  Then Wally sacrificed herself and things went downhill from there.  We all nearly died in real life because of it… She’s just relieved you both are alright…” Robin explained, looking away.  “...Do you mind if I stay the night with her?  She’s still in shock and wants me to stay…”

 

“Yeah, of course.  We’ll set up the air mattress in her room for you.”  Robin nodded and smiled slightly.

 

“Thank you.”


	8. Chapter 8

“So, Robin, tell me how you are feeling about the events of the simulation,” Black Canary said, leaning back and crossing her legs.  “You start and I’ll talk once you’re finished.”  Robin nodded and took a deep breath, adjusting his dark sunglasses and looking down.

 

“...I’ll admit, I wanted to be leader for while, but… once I was finally a leader in the simulation, I just couldn’t handle knowing I sent my teammates off to their deaths.  Up until now, I’ve wanted to grow up to be the Batman, but now I don’t want that.  I don’t have what it takes to just sacrifice everything and everyone I love just for the mission.”  He glanced up at her when he finished, running his fingers through his hair.  Black Canary nodded thoughtfully.

 

“I’m grateful that you’re so open about your feelings for this, Robin, unlike others.  And I appreciate the honesty, but I’d like to talk about your… rather extreme reaction to Wally’s death.”  Robin blinked, startled that she would ask about that.  Or that she even knew about it at all.

 

“Wh-What do you mean?  I didn’t react out of the norm.”

 

“Robin, you were the only one to react violently even after the moment had passed and it was time to concentrate on the rest of the mission.  Care to explain?” she asked, though she wasn’t accusing him of anything.  “If you’re worried I’ll tell anyone else what you say, all these sessions are confidential.”  Robin swallowed and looked up at her.

 

“...You swear that no one outside of this room will know anything I said?”

 

“You have my word.”  He nodded and glanced at the door before speaking.

 

“I… may have feelings for Wally.  Like, romantic ones.  But she doesn’t know!  Her entire family knows, and I’m pretty sure half the team does, but she can’t know.  Not yet, okay?  That’s why I was so upset when she died in the simulation.”

 

“It was because you never got to tell her how you felt.”  He nodded and let out a breath.  “Alright, I believe our time is up.  Although, if you ever need to talk about this again, I’m free to listen.”  Robin nodded again and got to his feet, heading towards the door.  He made his way into the conjoined kitchen and living room to see Wally sitting on the island and eating still, Artemis standing nearby, looking lost in thought.

 

“...Hey, Artemis?  You’re up.”  She jolted a bit before nodding and walking silently into the room he had just come from.  He watched her go before looking at Wally.  “What’re you still doing here?  Your session is over, isn’t it?”

 

“...Thought I’d hang around and wait for you to finish up.  Plus, I don’t really wanna go home just yet…”  He blinked and frowned in confusion, walking over and sitting next to her.

 

“Why don’t you want to go home?”  She glanced away and let out a breath through her nose.  “We’re the only ones here right now, Wally.  You can talk to me.”

 

“...Uncle Barry told me this morning that… that my parents want to come and talk to me over dinner.  They told him that they changed and want me to live with them again, but he doesn’t really believe them… Aunt Iris told him to at least give them a shot, so now they’re just waiting for me to come home…”  Robin let out a breath as well and hummed in thought, adjusting his sunglasses and observing her for a moment.

 

“...Need backup?”  She nodded.  “Okay, how many friends can you have over for dinner tonight?”  He smirked slightly as she pouted and fumbled for her phone, quickly shooting off a text.

 

“Um… Uncle Barry says no more than four friends… Who else are you bringing for backup?”

 

“Well, we have M’gann and Artemis here.  Then there’s me.  We just have to get Kaldur or Roy to help us out.  You ask Kaldur and Roy, I’ll go find M’gann.”  She nodded and watched him go before shooting off a few more texts, getting a negative for dinner from Roy (but he promised to come running over if she needed extra muscle) and an affirmative from Kaldur, who was on his way back to their HQ.  Artemis came walking back into the kitchen, surprised to see her still here.

 

“Uh, hey… What’re you still doing here?” Artemis asked, crossing her arms.

 

“Are you free to come to my house for dinner tonight?  It’s… important that you show up…” Wally said instead of answering her question, staring at her and hoping she’d get the hint.  Artemis watched her for a moment before nodding.

 

“Yeah, of course.  Let me just tell my mom where I’m going to be at.”  It wasn’t long until the group of five were gathered by the Zeta tube, Wally taking the lead to Central City.  She hesitated outside her front door, glancing at the second car in the driveway and swallowing.  Robin shifted so he was blocking her view, smiling reassuringly as Kaldur patted her shoulder.  She let out a breath and opened the door, making eye contact with Barry first before looking anywhere but her parents.

 

“Good to see you home, kid.  Why don’t you all come in and sit down?  I don’t think we’ve met all of you,” Barry said, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere slightly, ushering the sidekicks to the table quickly.  “Wally, why don’t you introduce us to your friends?”  Wally swallowed and nodded, gesturing to each one as she spoke.

 

“Uncle Barry, Aunt Iris… mom and dad, these are my friends: Artemis Crock, Megan Morse, Robin, and Kaldur.  Guys, this is my aunt and uncle and… parents.”  Her friends mumbled their greetings, even Kaldur seeming less polite than usual.  After a few moments of awkward and tense silence, Iris began serving dinner, unsure of how well this would go.  Dinner was going by quietly and awkwardly, Artemis shooting a few looks at Wally’s parents only to get a kick or two in the shin by one of the other sidekicks.

 

“So, Wally,” her father began, Wally’s shoulders tensing and her eyes glancing at Robin for help.  “How have you been?”

 

“...fine.  Everything’s fine.”

 

“You don’t look fine.  You seem a little tense and uncomfortable.”

 

“Gee, I wonder why…” she mumbled sarcastically before speaking a bit louder.  “I’m fine.  I swear, I’m just fine.”  Rudy, her father, clenched his fist and slammed it on the table suddenly, causing everyone to jump.

 

“DON’T LIE TO ME, YOU LITTLE FREAK!”  Wally flinched and ran into the living room in a blur, keeping a large distance between herself and her father, though Robin noticed she looked ready to bolt out the door.  Kaldur and Artemis were on their feet within seconds, standing tall and glaring at Rudy.

 

“I think it is time for you to leave,” Kaldur said, voice hard and holding an underlying threat of force if they didn’t leave.  Robin pulled his phone out, ready to call the police, but Iris held up her phone to indicate she was already ready for that.  Rudy got to his feet and got in Kaldur’s face.

 

“I don’t take orders from freaks like you.  Now get out of my way.”  He shoved past Kaldur, storming over to a cowering Wally.  Wally, in response to her father closing in on her, used her speed to run out the front door to who knows where.  Robin frowned and called Bruce, asking for assistance.

 

“We also need a search party.  Code Yellow,” Robin said, standing off to the side and speaking softly as Wally’s parents were taken away.

 

_ “That won’t be necessary.  I have her here at the manor.  She’s in some state of shock and will not calm down.  ETA on your return?” _

 

“Less than 20 minutes.  I’ll see you soon.”  He hung up and walked over to Barry, still speaking softly so no one could eavesdrop.  “Batman’s got Wally safe and sound in Gotham.  It might be best if we keep her there for the night.  But that’s up to you.”

 

“Hmm… It would probably just freak her out if we moved her from place to place while she’s like this… Yeah, keep her there for the night and bring her home when she’s ready tomorrow.”  Robin nodded and turned to leave, but was stopped by Barry grabbing his arm.  “Hey, Robin.  Thanks for taking care of her for me.  She’s lucky to have someone like you.”  He blinked then smiled slightly.

 

“It’s not a problem.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”  With that, Robin hurried to the nearest Zeta tube, stumbling out of a phone booth in Gotham and hurrying back to Wayne Manor.  He was greeted by Alfred and Bruce when he arrived, panting a bit and running his fingers through his hair.  “Where…?”

 

“Under the dining room table.”  He nodded and rushed into the dining room, slowing his pace as he approached the table, noting a familiar pair of red sneakers under the far end.

 

“...Wally?  It’s me.  Can you come out for me?” Robin asked softly, slowly making his way towards her and kneeling down so she could see him when he got close enough.  He smiled slightly and held out his hand.  “Hey… Do you want to come out from under the table?”  She didn’t respond, staring at him with wide, fearful eyes.  She instinctively curled further away from him when he spoke and reached out to her, though her mind seemed to be catching up slightly, her body uncurling slightly as she realized it was only Robin.  “Come on, it’s okay.  No one is going to hurt you here.  I promise… No, I swear on my life no one will hurt you as long as I’m around.”  She seemed to consider this, staring at his outstretched hand before hesitantly taking it and crawling out from under the table.  “There we go… Let’s go sit down for a bit.”  She nodded and complied silently as she was led into a large room with a fireplace, sitting her down on the couch.  “Do you want anything to drink?  To eat?”

 

“...Jitters and chocolate…” she mumbled softly, Robin having to lean in slightly to hear her.  He hummed in thought before smiling.

 

“Well, we don’t have Jitters here in Gotham, but we’ve got Alfred.  Is that okay?”  She nodded and he straightened up, heading out of the room to let Alfred know what she wanted before returning and sitting beside her.  “...So, how are you feeling?”  A shrug.  “Yeah, I figured.  Barry says you can stay here for the night and go back to Central when you’re up for it tomorrow.”

 

“...Okay…” she mumbled, flinching when the door opened and Alfred walked in with a tray.  He gently lowered the tray in front of her, speaking softly so as not to startle her.

 

“For you, Miss West.  A mug of hot chocolate and a slice of chocolate cake.”  She blinked and reached up, taking the offered items and thanking him.  “If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to ask.”  With that, he left them alone, Wally taking a sip from her hot chocolate.  The two sat in silence for a while, Wally slowly relaxing more and more as time went by.

 

“...I think I want to go to bed…” she said, not looking over at Robin as she spoke.  He blinked then nodded and got to his feet, holding out his hand.

 

“Well, let’s go get a room set up for you.  I think we’ve got some pajamas you can wear and Alfred can make sure you’ve got what you need for the night.”  Wally pursed her lips and took his hand, but didn’t stand.

 

“...Don’t let me sleep alone… I don’t want to be alone tonight…”  He blinked again, gripping her hand slightly and observing her carefully.

 

“Okay… Okay, you can sleep in my room.  Come on, it’s this way.”  He gently led her upstairs and to his room, pulling her inside.  I’ll uh… get Alfred to bring you some pajamas and uh… let you get changed in peace, okay?”  She nodded.  A few minutes of awkwardly waiting outside of his room in his pajamas later and the two sidekicks found themselves lying in the same bed, side by side.  Robin was thankful it was dark in the room and Wally couldn’t see his blush.  Judging by her soft breathing and unresponsiveness, Wally was already asleep beside him, curled up and sleeping contently.  He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.  Just as he was drifting off, Wally shifted closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, nuzzling into his chest and curling up a bit more.  He blushed more and looked down at her, unsure of what to do before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes, drifting off to sleep fairly quickly with her tucked close to him.

 

“Goodnight, Wally…”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference while reading: Wally's Dress - http://www.dhresource.com/200x200/f2/albu/g3/M00/3C/5B/rBVaHVaXF42Aagu6AAHLNqKYI9k869.jpg  
> Wally's Shoes - https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1MRjZPVXXXXXzXpXXq6xXFXXXi/Sandals-Woman-New-Summer-HP1520-font-b-Open-b-font-font-b-Toe-b-font-font.jpg  
> Makeup - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e2/c3/41/e2c341259668fbec934abefece574bcf.jpg  
> Party Hair - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/00/ff/08/00ff08c2043aa634612f0283a5c156fc.jpg  
> Normal Hair - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/44/76/d1/4476d122803e1a0c527f6495f0ae0d0e.jpg

“Hey, Uncle Barry.  What’re you reading?” Wally asked as she dug around in the fridge for something to eat, still dressed in her Kid Flash outfit.  She peeked over his shoulder curiously, eyes skimming over the invitation in his hands.  “Christmas party in Gotham?  Is it just League members or…?”

 

“Mmm… Nope!  Sidekicks allowed!  But it’s semi-formal so that means nice clothes.”  Both speedsters made a sound of disgust at the thought, Wally sitting next to her uncle and looking at the invitation.

 

“...So are we going?”

 

“Naturally.  Better get a dress, kid.  If I have to suffer through wearing a suit, you have to suffer with me.”

 

“You are so mean.”  He laughed and shoved her playfully, glad to see she was feeling better.  Although it had been a few months since the incident with her father, she had just recently gotten back to her old self again.  She grinned and shoved him back before heading upstairs to change into civvies.  The last time she tried to eat dinner with her costume on, Iris forced her to clean up and get changed.  No supersuits at the table.  She came downstairs again just as Iris walked through the door.  “Hey, Aunt Iris.  I gotta go dress shopping.”  Iris paused and looked over at Wally, a bit confused.

 

“Dress shopping?  Why?”

 

“Christmas Party with the Team and the League.  It’s semi-formal.”  Iris blinked and let out a breath before smiling.

 

“I’ll take you shopping this weekend.  But you’re learning to walk in heels.”

 

“Aww…”

 

“And you’re wearing makeup and letting me tame your hair.”

 

“Aww, no!”  Iris chuckled and shook her head, hanging up her keys and heading into the kitchen.  The trio had a quick dinner, Wally heading to bed when she was told to, a smile on her face.

 

“Hey, KF!  Some of us are gonna hang out for a while this weekend.  You game?”  Wally blinked and looked over at Robin, smiling apologetically and tugging her cowl back on.

 

“Sorry, Rob.  I got a busy weekend ahead of me.  Maybe some other time.  Bye!”  She grinned and pulled her goggles down, running to the Zeta tubes before anyone could respond.  She let out a breath when she finally arrived at her home, pulling her cowl off and heading inside.  “I’m home!”

 

“Welcome home!  Hurry up and get changed.  We’re going shopping while your uncle is out.”  Wally grinned slightly and hurried upstairs, quickly changing and running back downstairs.  “Ready?  Let’s get going.”

 

“...Aunt Iris, I have no idea how to pick out a dress.  I don’t even know what size I am,” Wally grumbled, looking through the racks of dresses and pouting slightly.  Iris rolled her eyes and picked out a red-to-yellow gradient dress in a few sizes, shoving them in Wally’s arms and ushering her to the fitting rooms.

 

“Calm down, Wally.  Just try these on and show me which one fits the best.  I want to see you in it.”  Wally groaned, but did as she was told, trying on the dresses and finally stepping out in the one that fit, blushing and looking off to the side.  Iris looked over and gasped, looking her over.  “Oh, Wally… That dress looks beautiful on you.”  She blushed more and nervously toyed with her fingers, smiling shyly.  “Get changed and we’ll go find some shoes that match.”  Wally hurriedly got changed back into her normal clothes, carrying the dress out with her and following her aunt to the shoe department.  “I want you to wear heels, but nothing too tall…”

 

“Hmm… What about these?” Wally asked, holding up a silver open toe shoe, the heel offering some height but not too much.

 

“That’s perfect!  Grab your size and we can check out and go home.  Don’t show your uncle anything, though.  I want him to be just as surprised as everyone else.”  She nodded and smiled slightly, following Iris to the cashier and back home, quickly hiding the dress and shoes in her closet.

 

“KF!!  You free to grab some Jitters today?” Robin asked, waving her down.

 

“Sorry, I’ve got things to do back home!  Sorry, maybe some other time!”  Wally grinned slightly and saluted, hurrying back to Central City.  Robin frowned slightly as he watched her go, crossing his arms over his chest.  She let out a breath when she arrived home, running her fingers through her hair.  The few weeks after they received the party invitation, Wally had been running home after every mission to practice dancing and walking in heels instead of hanging out with her friends.  She never offered any explanations other than that she was busy and had to rush home.  The Christmas party was tomorrow night and she had yet to perfect dancing in her heels.  Walking in them hadn’t taken this long.  She sighed and walked upstairs to change, hoping Robin wasn’t too mad at her for not hanging out with him after every mission.

 

“Alright, Wally, just sit still for a few more minutes, okay?  I’m almost done…” Iris said, carefully applying gold eye makeup and dark red lipstick to her niece, keeping her makeup light but beautiful.  She moved on to taming her wild hair, styling it and smiling.  “And… there!  Finished!  Why don’t you take a look?”  She smiled and moved so Wally could see herself in the mirror.  Wally blinked and stared at her reflection in surprise.

 

“Wow…”  Iris chuckled and helped her up, lightly kissing her cheek.

 

“I’m sure that’s what  _ everyone  _ will say when they see you walk in.  Let’s go downstairs and meet your uncle.”  Wally smiled a bit and nodded, letting Iris lead her downstairs.  Barry looked over at the steps when he heard people, dressed in a suit and tie.  His eyes widened when he saw Wally, mouth falling open in shock.

 

“Woah, kid… You clean up nicely.”  Wally laughed and shoved him playfully.

 

“So do you.  Ready to go?”  Barry chuckled and nodded, offering her his arm.  She gladly took it, following him out the door and to the nearest Zeta tube.  Wally hesitated when they arrived at the party, suddenly nervous about walking inside.

 

“Hey, kid, it’s alright.  Your friends are gonna love your new look.”  She didn’t relax but nodded slightly, still a bit tense.  Meanwhile, inside the building Bruce Wayne rented out for this party, Robin stood around with the other sidekicks, laughing and talking with them.

 

“It is strange that Wally has not shown up yet,” Kaldur said, glancing at the stairs leading to the entrance.  Artemis smirked slightly and crossed her arms.

 

“Maybe the thought of coming in a dress scared her off,” she said, though she wasn’t being mean about it.  Robin hummed in thought, glancing over at the stairs again and staring in awe at the sight at the top.  He nudged Kaldur and Artemis, not taking his eyes off the stairs.  The rest of the sidekicks turned to look, shock and surprise written on their faces as all eyes turned to see.  Wally descended the stairs gracefully in her heels, arm looped through her uncle’s and looking completely different from her usual look.  Murmurs began to break out through the crowd as the two speedsters descended, Wally releasing Barry’s arm when they reached the bottom and walking over to her friends, back straight and strides confident, her steps not even wobbling as if she had been walking in heels her entire life.  Everyone was speechless as she approached, still staring when she finally reached them.

 

“Hey, guys.  Sorry I’m late,” she said, as if this was any other day and they were just meeting for a mission.  Conner was the first to recover from the initial shock, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away.

 

“You uh… You look nice…”  Wally blinked then smiled, thanking him.  This seemed to shake everyone else out of their trance.

 

“I love your dress, Wally!  It looks so good on you!”

 

“Thanks, M’gann…”

 

“It is a good look for you,” Kaldur said, smiling softly.

 

“I’m surprised.  You look better in a dress than I do.”  Wally blinked then smirked slightly.

 

“I look better than you everyday.”  Artemis smirked back and rolled her eyes, shoving her playfully.  Wally laughed and grinned, glanced at Robin, tilting her head.  “You okay, Rob?”  Robin blinked and continued to stare, unsure of what to say.

 

“...You… You look beautiful,” he said finally, smiling softly at her.  Wally blushed lightly  and rubbed the back of her neck.

 

“...Thanks…”  Robin smiled and nodded, blinking when the music started up.

 

“Do you… Do you wanna dance?” he asked, holding out his hand.  She blinked then smiled and gladly took his hand, pulling him onto the dancefloor.  She grinned and held his hand, placing her other one on his shoulder.  He smiled and placed a hand on her waist, leading her around the dancefloor.  Barry watched from the sidelines, smiling as Wally laughed and danced with Robin, glad she was having a good time.

 

“They seem to be having fun together,” came a voice from beside Barry.  He blinked in surprise and looked to his left, relaxing when it was only Bruce.

 

“Don’t they always?” Barry said, smiling and looking back to the couple on the dancefloor.  “...You think he’s ever going to tell her how he feels?”

 

“He wants to, but he’s waiting for the right time.  He doesn’t just want to accidentally say it at the worst possible time.”  Barry nodded his understanding, humming contently.  “Is  _ she  _ ever going to say anything?”

 

“Probably not.  She’s kinda oblivious to his feelings towards her.”  Bruce chuckled and shook his head.  “They’ll figure it out one day.  I’m pretty sure anyone who looks at them can tell.”

 

“Okay okay okay… Let’s go sit down.  All that dancing made me hungry.”  Robin grinned and nodded, heading over to a table with her.

 

“I’ll go get us some plates.  What do you want?”

 

“Little of everything.”  He nodded again and hurried off to the buffet table, filling two plates with a little of everything and managing to balance them along with two glasses, setting them down at their table.  She smiled and gladly started to eat, relaxing and nudging her shoes off, letting out a breath.  “Ahh… That feels so much better.”

 

“I’m honestly surprised you know how to dance.  When did you learn?”

 

“I was learning all those times I blew you off to go home after a mission.  It’s not easy dancing in heels.”

 

“I can imagine.  You do look beautiful.  Though, I’m not sure dresses are your style.  I think you look better with your messy hair,” he said, smirking slightly.

 

“Yeah, I know.  It was a pain letting Aunt Iris try and tame my hair.”  She laughed softly and relaxed, leaning her cheek into her palm.  “This is fun, though.  Not that I’d ever get all dressed up like this again.  Those shoes are so uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.  I don’t know how other girls wear them so often.”

 

“I’m sure they’re uncomfortable.  Plus they make you even taller than me.  Unfair.”  She laughed again and stuck out her tongue.

 

“Or maybe you’re just short.”

 

“One day, West.  One day, I’ll be taller than you.”

 

“Keep dreaming, Grayson.”  He chuckled and let out a breath, taking a sip of his drink.

 

“Hey, kid!  It’s getting late!  Let’s head home!”  Wally blinked and looked over, letting out a soft sigh.

 

“Coming!  Gotta go, sorry.  Let’s get Jitters sometime and hang out.”  She smiled softly and lightly kissed his cheek before hurrying after her uncle.  Robin blinked and lightly touched where she kissed, smiling slightly as he watched her go.

 

“Catch ya later, KF.”


	10. Chapter 10

“You know, Roy really does deserve this,” Wally said, pulling her winter coat closer to her body and shifting her weight slightly, trying to keep herself warm in the chilly Hall of Justice library.

 

“Yeah, tell me about it.  The first of the sidekicks to get into the Justice League!  We should follow in his footsteps.”  Robin smirked and crossed his arms, eyes trained on the screen.  The group of sidekicks watched as Green Arrow himself gave Roy his official member card, eliciting cheers from the other sidekicks.  “One day, that’ll be us.  Then they won’t have any reason to call us sidekicks.”

 

“What’s so bad about being a sidekick?” Rocket asked, a hand on her hip as she looked over at Wally and Robin.  “You guys inspired me to get into this hero business.  What do you have against sidekicks?”  Robin opened his mouth to explain, but was interrupted by an alarm on his wrist computer.  “What is that?”

 

“We’ve got a hit.  Everyone suit up.  We’re going to the mountains,” Robin said, hurrying to the secret closet and throwing costumes at people.  Wally caught hers and used her speed to change quickly, grinning and providing cover for Artemis to change.  Once everyone was dressed and ready to go, they boarded the bioship and flew off to the location of the alarm.

 

“Alright, Rob.  What’ve we got?” Wally asked, fidgeting with the straps to her goggles and glancing over at him.

 

“I got a hit that Cheshire was caught boarding a plane in Asheville.  She was carrying the briefcase from New Orleans.  We’re tracing her plane at the moment.”

 

“What’s so special about that briefcase?” Rocket asked, frowning slightly.

 

“It belongs to the Injustice League.  We would’ve had it in New Orleans, but  _ someone  _ lost it,” Wally explained, looking over at Artemis, the archer sticking her tongue out at her.  Wally stuck her tongue out back and smirked slightly.  Kaldur shook his head slightly and glancing at the coordinates of Cheshires plane.

 

“It looks like the plane has landed in the mountains.  We should investigate,” Kaldur said, M’gann nodding and heading in that direction.  When they arrived, they were met with a crashed plane and no bodies.

 

“...This feels like a trap.  No bodies.  Downed plane with no flight plan.  No briefcase.  What should we do now?” Wally mumbled to herself, kicking some rubble aside and looking around.  Just as she spoke, Cheshire appeared out of the shadows with a few friends.  Riddler, Shimmer, and Mammoth appeared along with some mercenaries with Apokoliptan weaponry.

 

“Ooh, look at this~  Some lost little kids looking for their prize~” Cheshire purred, tilting her head.  The other villains laughed, the mercenaries smirking and deploying a force field so the Team couldn’t escape.  “We figured you’d follow me out here~  You walked right into our ambush~”  Kaldur scowled and narrowed his eyes.

 

“If it is a fight you want, it is a fight you will get,” he said, immediately jumping into battle.  Zatanna summoned a snowstorm to cover them, Wally pulling her goggles down and running off to find someone to fight.  Robin smirked and laughed, following after her and helping her take down a few mercenaries.  At one point, he looked over at Superboy, noticing that their friend was flying and using heat vision.  He frowned slightly in confusion, but shook it off when Wally crashed against him.

 

“Sorry!  You take care of Shimmer!  I’ve got the others!” she called out, disappearing into the snowstorm.  Robin watched her go before hurrying off to find Shimmer, tackling her to the ground and knocking her out.  The snowstorm cleared, revealing that they had captured Mammoth, Shimmer, and the Riddler.  Robin let out a breath and looked around for Wally, relaxing when he saw she was alright and hardly scratched up.  He grabbed Shimmer and carefully made his way over to the Team.  Artemis walked over, the briefcase in hand.

 

“Looks like Cheshire left us a gift,” she said, holding the case out.

 

“We will take it back to Headquarters with us.  Perhaps we should have the League take a look at it to determine what it can do.”  There were murmurs of agreement, everyone piling onto the bioship to head back home.

 

“You kids should not have left the Hall of Justice without telling someone where you were going,” were the first things they heard once they were off the bioship.  “That said, I’m proud of all of you.  You retrieved stolen tech on your own and captured three rogue criminals.”  The Team straightened up slightly, looking proud of themselves.  “It seems I was correct in assuming Hugo Strange was involved with their escape.  These are all his patients.  For now, we’ll transfer them to a different prison and have Hugo Strange investigated.  Artemis, if you would please hand over the briefcase.”  Artemis nodded and gave Batman the briefcase, letting out a breath and stepping back.  “I’ll leave you to talk amongst each other.  Try not to get into anymore trouble today.”  With that, he left them alone, briefcase in hand.  Once he was gone, Robin turned to the team.

 

“Someone must have tipped off the villains.  We must still have a mole somewhere in our ranks.”  Wally frowned and crossed her arms, glancing at everyone.  Kaldur noticed the tension and switched subjects.

 

“Let’s not talk about traitors and moles.  Let’s instead talk about Superboy and his recent odd behavior in battle.  Specifically the berserker type rage he goes in.”  Wally and Robin muttered their agreements, all eyes turning to Superboy.  Conner scowled and winced slightly as he got a message from Lex Luthor.  He bared his teeth slightly and turned away, starting to walk off.

 

“I have business to attend to.”  With that, Conner walked away, taking Sphere to Santa Prisca.  He met with Lex Luthor, looking around to see Sportsmaster, Blockbuster, and Queen Bee.  “...You were all behind the criminal activity.  The Injustice League was just a distraction.”

 

“Naturally.  I’m glad you’ve figured this out.  It makes things easier,” Luthor said, smirking slightly and looking up when a helicopter arrived, Artemis and Cheshire jumping off.  Conner looked at Artemis, silently asking for an explanation.  She shrugged and stared at him.

 

“No one trusted me.  I’m where I belong now,” was all the explanation he was given.  They both looked over when the bioship landed, M’gann stepping off and looking surprised to see her friends there.

 

“Now, now, M’gann.  Keep your promise,” Queen Bee said, smirking when M’gann stood next to her.  Conner frowned slightly and looked at Luthor.

 

“I don’t know what you have planned, but I’ll only help if you give me more shields.”  Luthor observed him for a few moments, narrowing his eyes slightly.

 

“...You’re lying.  Red Sun.”  With that, Conner froze up, completely shut down and unable to move or think.  Artemis watched on, glancing at Sportsmaster.

 

“What should we do?” she asked.  Sportsmaster huffed and told her to come with him.

 

_ Conner paused before he left the room, sighing and turning back to the Team.  He took a few steps towards them, looking oddly guilty. _

 

_ “There’s… something I need to tell you,” he confessed, avoiding eye contact.  “I’m not full Kryptonian.  Half of my DNA is human.  The human half is from Lex Luthor.”  Murmurs of surprise rippled through the Team, some glancing at each other.  Conner lifted his sleeve to show the darkened shield, sighing again.  “He gave me these shields to suppress my human DNA and access my full Kryptonian powers.  That’s why I would go into those rages in battle.” _

 

“Blockbuster, take Superboy with us so that we can reprogram him,” Luthor ordered.  Blockbuster grunted and moved to pick Superboy up, but was stopped by an arrow flying towards him, Artemis still holding her bow up and glaring at him.

 

_ “...I… have a confession to make, too…” Artemis said, turning to bring up some information on the Team’s computer.  Three pictures were brought up of Cheshire, Sportsmaster and Huntress.  “My mother used to be known as Huntress before an accident left her unable to walk.  My father and sister… are Sportsmaster and Cheshire.”  Wally stared then blinked as if something suddenly came to her. _

 

_ “...So that’s why you failed in our New Orleans mission… You didn’t want anyone to find out about this…”  Artemis nodded, looking guilty, though that was soon replaced by surprise when Robin laughed. _

 

_ “I knew all along.  Didn’t say anything because I felt you had earned your place on the Team.” _

 

Queen Bee scowled, glancing at M’gann and telepathically commanding her to take Artemis down.  M’gann bit her lip and raised her hand, eyes glowing as she levitated Artemis… just in time to save her from Sportsmaster.

 

_ “Um… Can I saw something, too?” M’gann asked quietly, all eyes turning to her.  She rubbed her arm and looked down.  “Um… I’m working for Queen Bee.  She’s been… blackmailing me by threatening to reveal what my true Martian form is.”  She took a deep breath before closing her eyes and transforming, revealing that she was a White Martian and not a Green Martian as she had led everyone to believe. _

 

_ “M’gann, you know we would have accepted you no matter what you look like.  We are your friends,” Aqualad said after a few moments of silence, smiling softly and crossing his arms.  Conner stepped forward, gently taking her hand. _

 

_ “I, uh… I already knew.  From that time we mind-melded back in Bialya.  And I really don’t mind.” _

 

M’gann narrowed her eyes and slammed Queen Bee against a tree, signalling to Conner that it was safe.  Immediately, Conner began moving, smirking and stalking towards Luthor, all trigger phrases purged from his mind.  Blockbuster roared and grabbed Superboy, dragging him off for a fight.  Bane scowled and opened fire, though Sphere was quick to retaliate.  Artemis readied her bow, slowly backing away as Cheshire and Sportsmaster cornered her.

 

“...Now!” she called out, Wally and Robin jumping out of a nearby tree and kicking Cheshire and Sportsmaster away.  Bane triggered his venom injector and jumped in to attack, Aqualad hurrying to stop Luthor from leaving, but he was shot down by Mercy.  Conner yelled as he was knocked off a cliff by Blockbuster, M’gann catching him before he hit the ground.  Rocket scowled and flew up to try and catch Luthor before he escaped, gasping and dodging when a rocket barrage was shot at her.

 

“Rocket!  Fall back and help the others!” Aqualad ordered, getting to his feet to continue fighting.  Sportsmaster knocked Artemis down, going in to finish her off when Wally came running in, picking her up and moving her out of the way.  Zatanna cast a spell, creating images of Robin as the Boy Wonder smirked and rushed forward with his images, confusing Bane enough so he could jump behind him and cut his venom lines, tasing him before he could retaliate.

 

“Superboy!  Miss Martian!  Pull back!”  The two aliens quickly moved away from Blockbuster as Aqualad and Rocket shot him with Apokoliptan technology.  Meanwhile, Wally and Artemis managed to trap Sportsmaster in the mud, his cries for his daughter to help him ignored as Cheshire slipped away and Artemis kicked him unconscious.  She bent down and plucked off his mask, tossing it to Wally.

 

“Cool!  Souvenir!”  She grinned and caught it, turning it over in her hands and humming a bit.  With their captives unconscious and tied up, the Team dragged them onboard the bioship, heading back to their headquarters for a mission report and to hand over their captives.  They handed them over to Red Tornado and gave a brief report before being sent home for the night, the team looking exhausted and ready to drop.  Wally bid everyone goodbye and goodnight, lingering on Robin the most with a smile before heading to the Zeta tubes.

 

“Hey, are they…?” Rocket asked, gesturing towards Wally and Robin and glancing at Artemis and Zatanna.

 

“Sadly, no,” Zatanna said, sighing and smiling fondly.

 

“It’s obvious to anyone with eyes they like each other, but neither of them will say anything,” Artemis explained, smirking and shaking her head before heading home to sleep.

 

Up in the Watchtower, Batman observed the bio-circuitry, not looking up when he heard Red Arrow’s designation.  Roy stepped up beside him, slipping a chip onto the back of Batman’s neck.  Batman straightened and put down the briefcase, heading into the central hall where the other League members were waiting, Red Arrow not far behind.  He activated the Zeta tubes, Vandal Savage coming through with a smirk, walking past Roy and the bowing League members without a single glance at them.  Roy blinked and shook his head slightly, glancing around at what he had done.

 

“I… I was the mole?!” he said incredulously, unable to believe it was him all this time.  Vandal Savage simply smirked more, standing at the observation window with his hands behind his back as he looked out at the Earth.

 

“Yes, you were.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but it'll be worth the wait.

“...probably nothing, but I’m just a little worried.  He never came home last night and no one’s seen him since yesterday…” Kaldur heard Wally say softly as he entered the Cave.  He looked over at Wally and Robin talking quietly with each other off to the side.

 

“I’m sure he’s okay.  He probably got caught up in a mission or something and forgot to tell you,” Robin muttered, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.  Kaldur frowned worriedly and walked over, keeping his voice low.

 

“Has something happened?”  Wally shook her head and smiled slightly, though it was forced and he could see the worry in her eyes.

 

“Oh, it’s nothing.  My uncle didn’t come home last night, is all.  He’s probably just busy with League business.”  Kaldur hummed in thought, but let it drop for now, looking over when the rest of the Team arrived.  Batman stepped into the room once everyone had gathered together, looking over all of them.

 

“I’m sure you’re all wondering who the mole truly was.”  Nods and affirmations were seen.  “The mole was Red Arrow.”

 

“What?!”

 

“It can’t be Roy!  He would  _ never  _ betray us like that!”

 

“This must be some kind of mistake.  I know for a fact that Roy would never intend to bring any harm to us.”  Batman held up his hand, silencing Wally, Robin, and Kaldur’s objections.

 

“The Roy Harper you three knew was not the real Roy Harper.  He was another Cadmus clone.”  Surprise and shock ripple through the Team, Wally glancing at Robin nervously.  “The Roy you knew had replaced the original Speedy three years ago, shortly after he became Green Arrow’s protege.  The clone was programmed with a fervent drive to join the Justice League, explaining his anger at being denied the day you three formed the Team.  He wanted to gain approval of the League, so he refused your offer to join the Team and went solo.  Unaware that he was a clone and a traitor, Red Arrow’s secondary programming activated upon his induction to the League.  He betrayed us to Vandal Savage by attempting to inject us with mind-controlling bio-nanotech chips.  I figured out Red Arrow was not the real Roy Harper and planned ahead.  We managed to subdue Vandal Savage, but Roy has escaped.”

 

“Where’s the real Roy?” Robin asked, frowning slightly.

 

“We don’t know.  Right now, he’s presumed dead.”

 

“Then allow us to go after Red Arrow!  He is our friend and will listen to us!” Kaldur said, stepping forward and staring Batman down.

 

“Unfortunately, I can’t allow that.  Red Arrow is a League member and therefore, a League matter.  Leave his apprehension to us.”  Batman turned to leave, but Wally stopped him.

 

“Wait!  Do you know where my uncle is?  He didn’t come home last night.”

 

“Your uncle is fine.  He’s on a mission to capture Red Arrow.  He told me he called and told you where he was.”  With that, he left the Team to Red Tornado.  Kaldur frowned and crossed his arms.

 

“I say we go out and look for Roy ourselves.  I have a feeling there is more to this than what we’ve been told.”  Suddenly, Red Tornado shut down, collapsing to the floor.  Kaldur turned to look, his frown deepening.  “Something is not right here…”

 

“I sensed a strange mystic energy in the Cave.  I think that’s what caused his shutdown.  The same energy was all around Batman, too…” Zatanna said, looking over Red Tornado curiously.  Robin hummed in thought, eyes widening as something came to him.

 

“Batman said that Flash called Wally last night to tell her where he was, but Wally said she has no idea where her uncle is and that he’s been missing all night.”  Wally hummed and looked down at Red Tornado, noticing something in his hand.  She crouched down and carefully picked it up, holding it in her palm.

 

“...Hey, this is one of those bio-nanotech chips from the briefcase.  What’s Red doing with one of these?” she wondered aloud, straightening up and frowning in confusion.  Kaldur frowned as well, looking down at the chip before stepping back to give orders.

 

“Kid, Robin, Zatanna, and Rocket.  You four will stay here and attempt to bring Red Tornado back online.  Artemis, Miss Martian, and Superboy.  You will come with me to find Red Arrow before the League finds him.  Let’s hurry before we are too late.”  Kaldur’s team quickly left the Cave, leaving Robin’s team to take care of Red Tornado.

 

“Alright, let’s see what’s going on with good ol’ Red here…” Robin muttered, bringing up his wrist computer and scanning Red Tornado for any problems.  “...Hmm… Looks like the problem is hardware, not software… I’m not sure how to reactivate him…”

 

“...Oh!  What if we transfer him into his John Smith android body?” Zatanna suggested, smiling when the group agreed.  They quickly got the John Smith body down and onto a table, carefully hooking up Red Tornado’s body to it and letting his consciousness download.  When most of the download was complete, Black Canary arrived, frowning at their actions and walking over.

 

“What’s going on here?  What are you kids doing to Red Tornado?” she asked, the group glancing at each other, silently asking if they should even answer.  The download finished and John Smith shot up.

 

“Team, run!  You cannot trust her!”  Black Canary scowled and took a deep breath, letting out a Canary Cry.  Robin rushed forward, aiming a punch at her, but he was thrown back.  He smirked, watching as the gas pellet he planted on her exploded.  Rocket acted quickly, trapping Canary and the gas in a bubble, relaxing when Canary fell unconscious.  Rocket released her, Wally quickly tying her up and gagging her.  “We must leave, quickly.  We’ll use the Super Cycle to track Superboy.  Do not use the radio for communications.”  The small team grabbed Black Canary and hurried out of the Cave before they could be caught.  The sidekicks let out a collective sigh of relief when they got away, everyone shifting to get more comfortable in the Super Cycle.

 

“...I think we deserve an explanation,” Robin said, looking up at John Smith.

 

“Yes, you all do.  The bio-tech chips, called Starro-tech, were implanted into every member of the Justice League by Red Arrow.  The alien organisms, infused with nano-technology and magic, shut down the independent control of the individual and allowed Vandal Savage to reprogram the mind to suit his needs.  Even my robotic brain, the mystically-protected mind of Doctor Fate, and any alien minds were not immune.  However, the chip needed 0.16 nanoseconds to completely subvert the host.  That delay allowed me to create a failsafe sub-routine.  If I tried to infect another person, the sub-program would completely disconnect my power cells and shut me down.”

 

“But if it takes over minds, why isn’t this body under mind control?” Wally asked.

 

“The Starro-tech is body specific.  The chip implanted in me was meant for my Red Tornado body, not my John Smith body.”

 

“...Is my uncle alright?”

 

“...He is mind controlled, but otherwise unharmed.  You have nothing to fear.”  She let out a relieved breath, relaxing and leaning against Robin’s shoulder slightly.  The Super Cycle beeped, alerting them to the bioship.  It was uncloaked and they were allowed onboard, unaware of the awakening Black Canary.

 

“So you found him?” Wally asked, looking from Roy to Kaldur.  Kaldur nodded and smiled slightly.  “Is he on our side?”

 

“Yes, he is.  He was entirely unaware of his actions until after what had happened was done.”  Roy sighed and got to his feet approaching Robin and Wally.

 

“I know I’m not the real Roy Harper, but I promise I’m your friend.  We trained together for three years and now more than ever, I need you to trust me.  Do you trust me?”

 

“Of course.  We’ve been through alot together.  I’d trust you with my life,” Robin said, smirking and patting his arm.  Roy nodded and looked at Wally.

 

“Wally…?”  She stared at him, sighing through her nose and pouting a bit.

 

“...Well, it’s not like you’ve been the greatest brother figure I’ve ever known,” she finally said, smiling slightly and laughing when he hugged her.

 

“I stand by my offer to take care of your parents.”

 

“Nah, we got it covered, but thanks.”  She grinned and released him, crossing her arms.  “So, what’s the plan?”

 

“We need to figure out how to reverse the effects of the Starro-tech.”

 

“...Perhaps we can call on some allies to help us find a cure,” Kaldur suggested, smiling slightly and already starting to contact a few scientists.  Roy nodded and started going over his plan with the rest of the Team, not noticing until it was too late that Black Canary had awoken.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It finally happened. All that tension building led up to this moment.

“Master Savage, I’ve returned.  I was briefly captured by the Team and Red Arrow, but I escaped.  I managed to put the Starro-tech into Red Arrow and Red Tornado as well as the Team.  The children are waiting for you back on Earth,” Black Canary reported, Red Tornado and Red Arrow at her side.  Vandal Savage smiled and praised her, though Klarion the Witch Boy noticed on his monitor that she was not under their control, and neither were her companions.  He growled and pointed at them.

 

“She’s lying!  Restrain them!”  Hal Jordan, one of the Green Lanterns of Earth, restrained the three, keeping them still so they could be implanted with Starro-tech once again.  Meanwhile, the Team had successfully infiltrated the Watchtower, making their way through the halls.  Using the cure-tech chips they had developed, they managed to successfully take down Plastic Man, Atom, Captain Atom, and Hawkman.  Klarion snarled as he watched his Starro-tech controlled League members, slamming his hand on the control station, though he noticed too late that the three he had recaptured were still not under his control.  Looking up, he realized they had taken out and disabled Hal Jordan.  “Alright then… Let’s see if you can handle them!”  He grinned menacingly, summoning a portal and letting through Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, John Stewart (another Green Lantern), Hawkwoman, and Martian Manhunter.

 

“This isn’t good…” Roy mumbled, pulling out his bow and starting to fire arrows.  This did nothing, unfortunately, as the six League members made short work of them, breaking Roy’s bow and tearing off Red Tornado’s limbs.  Savage frowned and turned to the six returning League members.

 

“Find the children and dispose of them.  Quickly.”  As the orders were given out, the Team had already quickly taken care of Icon and Doctor Fate.  Captain Marvel was much faster then the Team, giving them a challenge.

 

“Go!  I’ll take care of him!” Zatanna said, narrowing her eyes and casting a spell, forcing Captain Marvel to say his magic word and transform into non-mind controlled Billy Batson.  “Stay with me, Billy, okay?”  He nodded, keeping close to her side.  Meanwhile, Artemis and Wally had split up from the rest of them team, finding themselves trapped in the cargo hold with the Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow.  Wally darted around her uncle, trying to stay out of his grasp, but was knocked aside by a trick arrow.  Artemis glared and fired her own trick arrow, only for it to be caught by Flash and broken by Aquaman.

 

“There’s no way we can hold them off on our own!” Wally said, back away as they advanced on her and Artemis.

 

“Do not worry, friends!  I will help!”  Kaldur hurried into the room, grasping onto the control box for the airlock.  “Hold onto something!”  He slammed the button down, opening the airlock and sending their mentors spiraling towards space.  He quickly slammed the button again, closing the door and knocking their mentors out.  Wally ran over, quickly putting cure-tech chips on the back of their necks.

 

“Sorry, Uncle Barry.  No hard feelings,” she muttered softly to his unconscious form before hurrying after her friends.  On the observation decks, the rest of the Team managed to capture and take down Wonder Woman, Hawkwoman, and John Stewart.  M’gann was busy fighting her uncle while Robin and Conner tried to take care of Batman and Superman respectively.

 

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, Uncle J’onn…!” M’gann said, changing into her true form and telepathically inducing Martian Manhunter’s weakness to fire, smirking slightly to herself and quickly planting a cure-tech chip into his neck, transforming back and letting out a breath.

 

“Hey, Superboy!  I could use a little muscle here!” Robin called out, backflipping out of the way of an attack from Batman.  Conner looked over and frowned, getting away from his fight with Superman long enough to tackle Batman to the ground.  Robin hurried over and tagged him with cure-tech, letting out a soft breath when he went limp.  He ducked when Superman flew over, grabbing Superboy and slamming him against a wall.  “Superboy!”  Conner growled and grabbed onto Superman, latching onto him and refusing to let go.

 

“Robin, do it!”

 

“But it’ll hurt you, too.  Are you sure?”  Conner snarled and glared at him.

 

“Do it!!”  Robin hesitated, but sighed and pulled out a piece of Kryptonite, walking towards the two Kryptonians and using their weakened states to tag Superman.  He quickly put it away and caught Conner on his shoulder, helping him sit down.

 

“You okay?”  Conner nodded and let out a breath.

 

“Yeah… We did it, though.  Let’s meet up with the rest of the Team.”  Robin nodded and helped him to his feet, supporting him as they made their way with M’gann and Rocket to the main hall.  Vandal Savage watched the battles on the screens, face carefully blank.

 

“Klarion, we’re leaving.”  Klarion hissed and scowled.

 

“What?!  I want to stay and fight these little brats!”  Savage smirked at that, looking up at the boy.

 

“You’ll get your revenge one day.  For now, I don’t want you releasing the chaos and potentially killing valuable League members.  We’re leaving.  Now.”  Klarion grumbled, but agreed, teleporting them away just as the Team rushed into the room.

 

“Congratulations on your victory, Team,” Red Tornado said, not at all bothered by his lack of limbs.  A screen popped up, displaying the date and time with the cheery message  _ Happy New Year, Justice League _ .  Robin blinked in surprise then smirked slightly and glanced at Wally beside him.

 

“I should’ve done this a long time ago,” he said, reaching up and pulling her down to his height, kissing her softly.  She blushed, but didn’t resist, easing into the kiss.  M’gann and Conner followed their lead, Rocket giving Kaldur a kiss on the cheek.  Red Tornado watched on, a bit bemused.

 

“I shall never understand such strange human customs.”  Eventually, the League members recovered, Wally eagerly greeting her uncle when he wandered into the main hall, Robin watching from a little ways away.

 

“Uncle Barry!!” she cried, hugging him tightly and grinning widely.  Barry blinked then smiled and hugged her back.

 

“Hey, kid.  Everything’s alright,” he reassured, glancing up to see Robin.  “Hey, Robin!  How’re you doing?”

 

“Just fine, Barry, thanks.”

 

“Oh!  That reminds me!  I gotta tell you something, Uncle Barry!”  He blinked but released her, watching as she hurried over to Robin and took his hand, pulling him over to her uncle.  “You see, uh, after all the fighting and it being New Years… Rob kissed me!  And I think we’re dating now?”  Barry blinked in surprise, staring at them before smiling then laughing.

 

“Oh, I  _ so  _ called it!  Just wait until your Aunt Iris finds out!  She’ll be so excited!”  Wally laughed a bit and smiled, blushing slightly.

 

“Robin.  We need to talk,” came Batman’s voice from somewhere behind them.  Robin sighed and nodded, heading over to his mentor.  “You two may head home and rest.  It’s been a long day.”  Barry grinned and nodded, heading towards the Zeta tubes.  Wally waved to Robin, grinning widely and promising to talk later before hurrying after her uncle.

 

“Listen, I’ll do whatever it takes to find the real Roy Harper.  Dead or alive,” Roy promised, still distraught over what he learned about himself, but determined to find the real one and bring him home.  Batman shook his head.

 

“We already have Guardian searching Cadmus for a body.  You don’t need to concern yourself with this.”  Roy frowned, but nodded, allowing Green Arrow and Black Canary to escort him out.

 

“...We have another problem, don’t we?  Those missing sixteen hours,” Robin said, frowning as Batman pulled up a screen of six members of the League: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, John Stewart, Hawkwoman, and Martian Manhunter.

 

“Yes.  We don’t know what we had done in those sixteen hours nor where we had been.”  Both stared at the screen, unsure of what to make of those missing sixteen hours.


	13. Chapter 13

“Ugh, I’m so glad this mission is over,” Wally groaned, stretching slightly and letting out a breath.  She and Robin had been sent out on a stealth mission to infiltrate enemy ranks and gain information alone.  They had been gone for almost two weeks, but they had completed the mission.  Robin yawned and nodded, stretching as well and putting on his sunglasses as they approached the center hall of the Cave to give their report.

 

“Welcome back.  How did it go?” Batman asked, looking over at the two sidekicks as they entered.  Robin pulled out a USB and tossed it over to him.

 

“It went well.  There were a few times in the beginning that they were suspicious of us, but we proved ourselves.  Getting the info was easy enough,” Robin explained, shoving his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt.  Neither of them were wearing their costumes, instead having changed out of enemy clothes into street clothes.  Batman nodded and caught the USB, turning it over in his hand.

 

“Good job.  Head home and get some rest.”  With that, Batman walked away, dismissing the two sidekicks.  Wally let out a breath and stretched again, glancing over at Robin.

 

“You know… I’m kinda hungry after all that.  You don’t happen to like Big Belly Burger, do you?” she asked with a sly smile, glancing away when he turned to look at her.  “Not that you’d be interested in going on a date with  _ me _ .  No way would the great Boy Wonder do that,” she teased as if they hadn’t already been dating for over a month since the incident with Vandal Savage.  Robin blinked then smirked, taking her hand and pulling her down a bit.

 

“Oh, yeah?  And what if I said I wanted to go on a date with you?  What’re you gonna do then?”  She smirked back and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.  He smiled and gladly kissed her back, intertwining their fingers and placing a gentle hand on her cheek.  She grinned and pulled away, still holding his hand contently.  “Shall we go, Miss West?”

 

“Oh, absolutely, Mr. Grayson.”  He chuckled and walked with her to the Zeta tubes, ending up in Central City.  Wally smiled and happily led him down the street to Big Belly Burger, noting that it was mostly empty and finding a table in the back for the two of them.  She grinned and leaned her cheek into her palm, still holding his hand and staring at him with adoring eyes.  He smiled back, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing the back of it gently.  She giggled and blushed lightly, swinging her feet a bit.

 

“So, Miss West, you wouldn’t happen to be busy on Valentine’s Day, would you?  I know you have such a packed schedule dealing with the adoring populace day in and day out.”  She blinked then grinned.

 

“Well, Mr. Grayson, as it turns out I have nothing planned that day.  Do  _ you  _ have something planned?”  He smiled widely and leaned forward, kissing her cheek.

 

“You’ll just have to wait and see.  I’ll pick you up that morning.”

 

“Ooh, a surprise!  Can’t wait.”  He chuckled and glanced at the time.

 

“Well, as much as it pains me to say this, it’s late and we both need some sleep after that mission.  Come on, I’ll walk you home.”  He smiled and got to his feet, paying for their food and leading her out the door.  She grinned and happily followed him, gripping his hand slightly as they walked.  Once they got to her house, she smiled and kissed his cheek affectionately.

 

“I’ll see you later.  Sleep well.”  He smiled softly and kissed her cheek in return.

 

“Yeah, see you later.  Now, get some rest.  You’ve earned it.”  He kissed her cheek again before hesitantly releasing her hand and starting to walk away.  She watched him go before heading inside, blinking when she nearly ran into her uncle’s chest.

 

“...Hi, Uncle Barry.  I know I’m late, but I just got back from a mission.”  Barry stared down at her with an unreadable expression before smiling and pulling her into his arms.

 

“Glad to see you’re alright, kid.  Bet you’re tired, though.  Head to bed, then you can tell me all about it in the morning.”  She smiled and nodded, yawning softly before heading up to bed, completely exhausted and wanting to sleep in her own bed for the first time in two weeks.

 

“They’ve been together for a month.  Have they even said ‘I love you’ to each other yet?” Artemis asked, watching the couple on the couch.  School had just let out and the Team was gathered in the Cave to await a mission, but there were none to be had today, so they were all just hanging out.  Wally and Robin were watching TV, Wally stretched out on the couch with her head on Robin’s lap while Robin ran his fingers through her hair.

 

“Not yet.  Robin has told me he plans on telling her on Valentine’s Day.  He wants it to be romantic,” Kaldur said, smiling fondly as he looked at them.  “I am very happy for them.  I have known them for a long time and have known their feelings for each other since the day I met them.  It is good to see they have acted on it.”

 

“Did Wally ever know about Robin’s feelings towards her?”

 

“Not until New Years.  She was never quite aware of his feelings towards her.”  Artemis nodded and smirked slightly, blinking when Wally sat up.

 

“Alright, I gotta get home.  See you all tomorrow if I survive school for another day,” Wally said, kissing Robin’s cheek before getting to her feet and hurrying to the Zeta tubes.  Robin watched her go before getting to his feet as well.

 

“I should probably head back to Gotham.  Still got school in the morning.  See you tomorrow.”  He waved slightly before heading home, Artemis following soon after.

 

“Alright, kid, don’t hurry home tonight.  Have some fun with your boyfriend,” Barry said, smiling and ruffling her hair.  Valentine’s Day had finally arrived and Robin was on his way to pick her up.  She grinned and giggled, glancing up at him.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I got it, Uncle Barry.  You and Aunt Iris have fun, too.”  He chuckled and ruffled her hair again, releasing her when there was a knock on the door.  She smiled and answered it, grinning when it was Robin standing there.  “Hey!”

 

“Hey.  Ready to go?  I’ve got a busy day planned for us and I’d rather not be late,” Robin said, holding out his hand and smiling softly.  She happily took his hand, calling out a goodbye to her aunt and uncle before following Robin down the street.

 

“So, where are we going first?  Jitters?  Romantic stroll through the park?”  Robin smirked slightly, leading her through downtown Central City.

 

“We are going to have a romantic stroll through the park.  But not here.  We’re going to Gotham.”  They stepped into a Zeta tube, teleporting to Gotham.  Robin kept a grip on her hand, leading her towards Gotham Central Park, slowing his pace when they arrived.  “Welcome to Gotham Central Park.  Our first stop of the day.  Probably don’t need these since everyone knows my name here…” he said, the last part mostly to himself as he took off his sunglasses and tucked them into his pocket.  He grinned and glanced up at her.  “Shall we go, Miss West?”

 

“Lead the way, Mr. Grayson.”  Hand in hand, they began walking leisurely through the park, laughing and talking in the crisp morning air.  Snow crunched beneath their feet, a light snowfall drifting around them as they walked.  Dick smiled and looked up at Wally, smiling more at the sight of her pink cheeks and slightly reddened nose, a wide grin on her lips as she laughed at whatever he had just told her.  After a couple hours, she shivered a bit and laughed.  “Whew… I forgot how cold I can get when I’m not running…”  Dick rolled his eyes slightly and squeezed her hand.

 

“Well, why don’t we go find a place to warm up?”

 

“Sounds great!  Does this place have food?  I just realized how hungry I am…”  He chuckled and nodded, smiling and leading her out of the park and towards one of the nicer restaurants in Gotham.  “Aw, no, Grayson.  I’m underdressed…”

 

“Don’t worry about it.  No one’s gonna see, anyway.”  She gave him a look as if she didn’t understand.  “I uh… may or may not have reserved the entire restaurant for us.”  She blinked then smiled and kissed his cheek, intertwining their fingers.

 

“That’s actually really sweet.”  He grinned slightly and led her inside, guiding her to a table in the center of the restaurant.  The table was already decorated with lit candles, scattered rose petals, and two mugs of steaming hot chocolate waiting for them.  He released her hand and pulled her chair out for her.  She grinned and sat down, crossing her legs.  He smiled and sat across from her.  She let out a content breath and took a sip of her hot chocolate, blinking in surprise at the familiar taste.  “...Is this Jitters hot chocolate?”

 

“Yeah… You have no idea what I had to do to get it here.  But I did it for you.”  She grinned and giggled, taking another sip of her hot chocolate and relaxing.

 

“Thank you… Though, it wouldn’t be so hard if you just had Jitters here in Gotham,” she teased playfully, laughing when he rolled his eyes at her.  A waiter came by and gave them their menus, taking drink orders before leaving them be for now.  Wally set down her mug and started flipping through her menu, pursing her lips slightly.  “...I’m gonna be honest and say I have no idea what half of this stuff is.  I dunno if I can even pronounce any of this…”

 

“...Same here.  I think it’s in French?  Maybe?  Anyway, you can pick whatever you like.”  She giggled a bit and smiled widely, going back to her menu.  Lunch went by smoothly, the couple laughing and talking in the empty restaurant.  Eventually, Dick got to his feet and held out his hand.  “Ready to go?  Like I said, we have a busy day ahead of us and I’d rather not be late.”  She blinked then grinned and nodded, taking his hand and following him out the door.

 

“Where to next, Mr. Grayson?”  Dick grinned and opened his mouth to answer when he heard screaming coming from down the street.  Both sidekicks looked over to see the Joker and Harley wreaking havoc.  Dick sighed and looked up at Wally, shrugging a bit.  She grinned slightly and pulled her goggles out of her pocket.  “Duty calls, huh?  Shall we, Mr. Grayson.”

 

“Absolutely, Miss West.  You’ll probably be changed before me, so you go on ahead.  I’ll catch up.”  She nodded and hurried off, quickly changing in a secluded alleyway before pulling her goggles down and running into battle.  With a smirk, Dick hurried off to change, laughing and jumping off a rooftop in his Robin outfit, kicking the Joker right in the face.  Wally laughed at the sight, quickly moving out of the way when a giant hammer was swung in her direction.  The duo took down the villains just as Batman arrived, looking at him with proud looks on their faces.  “We’ve got this.  No worries.”

 

“I’ll take it from here.  You kids go back to your date,” Batman said.  Wally grinned and turned to rush off and change but was stopped by a line of ice appearing by her feet.  She groaned and threw her hands up in frustration.  Robin groaned as well, but quickly got to work taking down Mr. Freeze with his mentor and girlfriend.  It seemed today was not their lucky day as villain after villain showed up to ruin Valentine’s Day.  It was late and dark by the time they finished, both sidekicks panting for breath.  Batman sighed and walked towards them.  “Head back to the Batcave, both of you.  I’ll take care of anything else.  I’ve already asked Alfred to set up something special for you two.”

 

“Thanks…” Robin panted, pushing off the wall and pulling Wally to her feet, fleeing the scene as quickly as possible and without drawing unnecessary attention.  They made their way into the Batcave, changing out of their costumes and into comfier clothes.  Wally had pulled on a pair of Flash lounge pants and a Wonder Woman t-shirt that looked like it had been through the war with all the tears and rips in it.  Robin had simply pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt, taking her hand again and leading her upstairs.  “I’m glad that’s over… You as hungry as I am?”

 

“Totally.  All that running around and fighting really takes a lot out of you…”

 

“Ah, Master Dick and Miss West.  Welcome back.  Please, follow me to the dining room,” was the greeting they received from Alfred when they finally got up into the manor.  They followed without question, blinking at the sight before them.  The dining room table was laid out with enough food for the two of them, candles lit and the lights dim.  “Master Bruce told me your date had been interrupted.  He requested that I host dinner for you two tonight to make up for it.”

 

“Um thank you, Alfred, but you really didn’t have to do this…” Wally said, staring at the table with eyes.

 

“I insist, Miss West.  Please, take your seats and enjoy your meal.”  The couple looked at each other, but thought best not to argue, sitting across from each other at the table.  Dinner was spent mostly in silence, the couple too exhausted to hold a conversation for long.  Wally had her chin propped up in her palm, trying to keep herself from dozing off in the middle of their meal.  Dick was occasionally pinching himself to keep from drifting off.  Bruce chuckled at the sight from the doorway, walking over and nudging both of them.

 

“Go and get some rest.  You two have earned it.  We’ll clean up here and I’ll let your uncle know where you are, Wally.”  She yawned and nodded, getting to her feet and running her fingers through her hair.  Dick motioned for her to follow him upstairs, yawning as well and stretching his arms above his head.  He led her to his room, tucking under the covers with her and leaning over to kiss her cheek.

 

“Goodnight, Wally.  I love you,” he mumbled sleepily, turning off the lightly flopping onto his back to sleep.  Wally shifted so she was closer to him, laying her head on his chest and relaxing.

 

“G’night… Love you, too…” she mumbled back, soon snoring softly and out like a light, Dick not too far behind.


	14. Chapter 14

2 Years Later...

 

“There are so many things wrong with this, Grayson, and you know it,” Wally said, pouting at her boyfriend and crossing her arms.  Dick simply smirked and crossed his arms as well, straightening up slightly.

 

“What?  Are you mad that I’m taller than you now?  It’s called puberty, West.  And I’m finally taller than you.  Deal with it.”  She stuck her tongue out, though it only earned her a laugh from him.  “Anyway, remember when I told you I was helping out with training a new Robin?”

 

“Yeah, I remember.  What’re you gonna do?  I doubt there can be two Robins… plus you’re a little tall to be a Robin, aren’t you?” she teased, smirking and laughing when he playfully shoved her.  “But seriously, what’re you gonna do?”

 

“Well, I still want to be in this hero business with you and the Team, so… Batman and I agreed that I should take up a new mantle and start going solo in Gotham.”

 

“Oh really?  And what will your new name be?”

 

“I was thinking Nightwing.  Keep with the whole bird theme and all that.  What do you think?”  Wally smiled slightly and uncrossed her arms.

 

“Yeah, that sounds like something you’d come up with.  Not gonna stop me from calling you the Dork Wonder, though.”  He chuckled and kissed her cheek.

 

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”  She grinned and kissed his cheek in return.

 

“So, in other news, I got accepted into college.  Stanford University.”

 

“That’s great!  You gonna stay in the dorms or…?”  She shook her head and laughed a bit.

 

“Nah, I’m gonna stay with Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris for a bit until I find another place.  Y’know… maybe one we could stay in together?”  Dick blinked in surprise.

 

“You want to move in together?”

 

“Yeah, why not?  We’ve been together for over two years.  Maybe we can take a step forward.  I mean, you don’t have to move in right away.  You still have school to finish and all that and trust me when I say you don’t want to go to my high school if you transfer.  It’s terrible and a public school.”

 

“I’d have to think about it.  I mean, Bruce was saying I could head over to Bludhaven once I graduated.”

 

“I wouldn’t be opposed to moving.  I can easily take online classes.”  Dick hummed a bit in thought, looking down at her.

 

“Let me think about it, alright?  That’s still two years in the future.”  She pouted slightly but nodded her understanding, looking up at him.  “Anyway, enough talk of the future.  Don’t we have dinner with your family soon?”  Wally blinked then straightened up slightly, a smile appearing on her lips.

 

“Oh, yeah!  I almost forgot about that!  C’mon, let’s go before we’re late!”  She grinned and took his hand, dragging him towards her house.  He chuckled and followed her, keeping a grip on her hand.  “So… since you’re not gonna be a Robin anymore, I think we should tell Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris who you really are.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well, I mean I’ve been calling you Robin in front of them for almost five years and I know Uncle Barry knows you won’t be a Robin forever.  Now that you’re no longer Robin, it doesn’t make sense for me or my family to call you Robin anymore.”

 

“I suppose that makes sense… And I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.  As long as they don’t tell anyone  _ who  _ I am, okay?”

 

“Hey, if Aunt Iris can keep it a secret that Uncle Barry is the Flash and I’m Kid Flash, we’re good to go.  Plus, Uncle Barry knows the importance of a secret identity.”  He grinned slightly and kissed her cheek, stopping outside her house.  “You should be the one to do it.  Reintroduce yourself,” she suggested as she opened the front door and pulled him inside.  Dick didn’t have time to argue about it as they were already face to face with her aunt and uncle.

 

“Just in time, you two!  Iris just finished dinner.”  Barry grinned and pulled them inside, shutting the door behind them.

 

“Uh, thanks… Barry…”  Wally pouted and nudged him slightly, nodding towards her aunt and uncle with a pointed look.  Dick sighed softly and squeezed her hand.  “Actually… There’s something I need to tell you two before we sit down…”  Barry blinked in surprise, glancing over at Iris before the two burst out laughing.

 

“If you’re going to tell us that you’re Dick Grayson, we already know!” Barry managed after he had calmed down a bit.  “Wally spilled everything when she got her wisdom teeth taken out!  All she did on the ride home was tell us secrets she knew about each member of the Team!  It was honestly the funniest thing I ever saw!”  Dick blinked before turning his gaze to Wally who simply stared back at him.

 

“...I don’t remember any of that.  Don’t look at me.”  Barry chuckled and wiped a tear from his eye, placing a hand on Dick’s shoulder and grinning widely.

 

“Don’t worry.  You’re secret is safe with us.  Now let’s eat already.”  After a few more moments of Barry and Iris calming down after their laughing fit, they all finally sat down for dinner.  Throughout dinner, Barry poked fun at Wally for all the things she said when she had her wisdom teeth removed, laughing when she would shoot him a glare and pout.  Once dinner had ended, Wally pushed Dick out the door before Barry could tell anymore embarrassing stories about her while she was heavily medicated after surgery.

 

“Ugh, I’m glad that’s over.  Ready to head back to Gotham?”  Dick chuckled and nodded, taking her hand and walking down the street with her.

 

“...So, you already told them while you were-”

 

“Don’t.  Even.”  He laughed softly and kissed her cheek affectionately.  She relaxed slightly and gave a small smile, letting out a breath and leading him towards a Zeta tube.  “See you tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah.  See you.”  He leaned in and kissed her softly, pulling away after a few moments and leaving for Gotham.  She smiled and watched him go before running back home, stretching slightly and heading towards the stairs.

 

“Hey, kid, can we talk for a minute?”  Wally blinked and looked over to see her uncle standing nearby, his arms crossed and Iris nowhere to be found.

 

“Yeah, sure.  What’s up?”  Barry motioned for her to come sit down, turning and walking towards the living room.  She gladly obliged, sitting next to him on the couch and tilting her head at him curiously.  “What did you wanna talk about?”

 

“I know you were able to balance school and being on the Team in high school, but you’re going to be starting college soon and I don’t want you to neglect one for the other.  Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it?  Your schedule for college isn’t going to be like high school.”  Barry watched her carefully, almost expecting Wally to brush off his concerns with a smile and a laugh and claim she could handle it.  Instead, Wally looked away and rubbed the back of her neck, chewing on her lower lip lightly.

 

“...Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that, too.  I’ll be honest with you, Uncle Barry, I’m not sure if I can handle it.  I’m gonna give it a shot and if it’s too much trouble to keep up with being on the Team as well as going to school, I’ll hang up my cowl for good and focus on school.”  This caught him by surprise.  Barry knew that Wally had always dreamed of being a hero, and hearing her so casually say she’d be willing to give it up in favor of school was a complete shock.

 

“...Wally, are you sure?  You’ve always wanted to be a hero and… you’d just be willing to give it up like that?”  Wally gave him a small smile, though Barry could see the sadness in her eyes.

 

“I’m growing up, Uncle Barry.  Eventually, I’m going to have to choose between having a normal life and being a superhero.”  He let out a breath and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

 

“Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support you all the way.”  She gave a genuine smile this time, leaning in for a hug.  “Go get some sleep, kiddo.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

“‘Night, Uncle Barry.”


	15. Chapter 15

“Wally!  Wally, snap out of it!”  Wally jolted slightly as she was shoved to the ground, Artemis sprawled out next to her as a water whip snapped through where she had originally been standing.  Artemis scowled and grabbed the front of Wally’s costume, shaking her a bit and getting in her face.  “Get a hold of yourself!  We need you out there!”  Wally stared at her blankly for a few moments, unsure if she should even go back out and fight.  Artemis gave a frustrated shout, dropping Wally and looking down at her as she got to her feet and grabbed her bow.  Despite the anger in her expression, there was worry and concern for the speedster in her eyes.  “If you’re not going to fight, then get out of the way.”  As Artemis ran back into battle, Wally slowly pulled herself to her feet, stumbling out of the way of the battle and collapsing to her knees.

 

“...I can’t do this…” she whispered, staring down at her hands.  School was too much.  Being a hero was too much.  Roy had disappeared without anybody knowing where he had run off to.  Nightwing never had time for her.  The new Robin had been murdered in cold blood.  And now this.  Now Kaldur, one of her oldest friends and founder of their Team, had turned against them in favor of siding with his father Black Manta.  “I can’t do this anymore…”  She didn’t even flinch when part of the rock she was sitting behind was shattered.  The sounds of fighting began to fade out as she grew lost in the thoughts of recent events, green eyes still staring down at her hands blankly.  She blinked and there was a pair of hands resting on top of her own.  Her gaze flitted upwards, just enough to see a blue bird displayed overtop of black.  Nightwing.  Was the battle over?  How long had she been sitting here?  Did they win?  Did Kaldur come back?

 

“...”  Nightwing was saying something, asking her something, but she couldn’t hear.  Her ears were ringing and her mind was racing.  She didn’t struggle when she was gently pulled to her feet and led to the bioship, staying unusually quiet as they made their way back to the Cave.  She glanced over at Artemis and noticed that she had the same faraway look.  They locked eyes and Wally could tell they were thinking the same thing.  They couldn’t do this anymore.  She blinked and they were all standing around Nightwing as he gave a report.  Absently, she realized she could hear his voice again, though she wasn’t quite listening to what he was saying.  She stared at him as he talked, eyes dull and expression blank.  Almost hesitantly, she parted her lips.

 

“I…”  Nightwing stopped and looked over at her, clearly surprised she had started speaking again, but he turned towards her and nodded, signalling for her to continue.  All eyes were on her at this point.  “...I can’t do this anymore…”  She heard a few of the newer Team members begin murmuring to each other, but she paid them no mind.  M’gann seemed shocked, but Superboy and Nightwing didn’t seem affected.  Nightwing still didn’t speak, as if he sensed she had more to say.  She paused and swallowed slightly before continuing.  “...I can’t keep doing this.  I can’t balance school and being a hero.  Two of my best friends are gone.  Robin was only a child and he was just murdered in cold blood.  I just… I don’t think I can keep leading this kind of life.  Not anymore.”  Nightwing studied her for a moment before nodding and walking towards her.

 

“If that’s what you truly want, you don’t have to force yourself to keep being a hero.  No one is going to force you to stay.  Just know that you’re always welcome back.”  Wally nodded, still feeling numb, but she was glad that Nightwing understood.

 

“I’d like to hang up my cowl, too.  If that’s alright.”  Nightwing looked over at Artemis, frowning slightly.  “This isn’t permanent, but I’d like to live a normal life for a while.  I’m actually planning on moving out of Gotham soon.”  Wally blinked then smiled slightly, glancing over at her.

 

“...You know, I might be looking for a roommate in Central City.  If you’re interested.”

 

“I’d like that.  Let me know what you’re plans are.”  Wally nodded and looked back at Nightwing, still smiling slightly.

 

“If you ever seriously need my help, give me a call.  And don’t forget you still owe me a night out.”  Nightwing chuckled and nodded, kissing her cheek before letting her and Artemis leave.  Wally made her way to the Zeta tubes, Artemis at her side.  “See you later, Artemis.  I’ll get back to you on the roommate thing.”  Artemis nodded, though she didn’t let Wally walk away just yet.

 

“Hey, are you okay?  You haven’t been yourself these past few days and… and I’ve never seen you freeze up like that in a fight.  Are you sure you’re alright?”  Wally blinked and stared at her for a few moments before tugging her wrist from her grasp.

 

“I’m fine.  I swear.  See you later.”  Without waiting for her to say anything else, Wally stepped into the Zeta tube, stepping out in Central City and looking around dully.  Heaving a sigh, she pulled her goggles down over her eyes and ran home, unsure of her own feelings and why she felt so numb to everything.  She stopped outside her front door, staring blankly at it for a couple moments.  She blinked and she was in her room, sprawled out on her bed in her pajamas, Kid Flash costume folded neatly on her dresser and the clock by her bed reading three in the morning.  She sighed and got to her feet, sneaking downstairs and opening the fridge in hopes that she would find something to eat.  She didn’t remember eating anything when she came home and she wasn’t sure if it was safe to ask if she did.

 

“I figured you’d come downstairs eventually.  Iris put your favorite near the back on the top shelf.”  Wally didn’t even turn to look at Barry, instead digging around and pulling out a container of her favorite dinner, shutting the fridge and moving to heat it up.  “...Are you ready to talk now?”  No response.  “C’mon, kid, you always tell me when something’s bothering you.”  Silence.  Barry frowned slightly and reached out, touching her shoulder and blinking in surprise when he realized she was trembling.  “...Wally?”

 

“I couldn’t do it anymore… I quit the Team…” she mumbled, her voice thick with tears.  “I couldn’t be there anymore.  I couldn’t just watch helplessly as Roy went missing and Kaldur left us.  Robin was murdered and none of us could save him.  And the worst part is…”  She sobbed and sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes before continuing.  “The worst part is Nightwing didn’t even seem surprised that I was leaving!  It’s almost as if he was just waiting for me to say something…”  Barry’s expression softened as he gently pulled her into his arms.

 

“Oh, kid, I’m so sorry… I can’t do much about Kaldur or Robin, but tell you what?  If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll keep an eye out for anything about Roy and I’ll get Batman to have a talk with Nightwing.  You don’t deserve to be his second priority.  How’s that sound?”  She sniffed and nodded, clinging to him tightly.  He smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head.  “Good.  Now hurry up and eat something, then head to bed.  It’s late and you still have class tomorrow.”  She nodded again and pulled away after a moment, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself.

 

“Thanks, Uncle Barry…”

 

“No problem, kid.  Oh, and next time, don’t just bottle all of this up.  You know you can talk to me about anything.”

 

“Yeah, I know… Thanks…”  He nodded, satisfied, before heading back upstairs to sleep.  She watched him go before quickly heating up her dinner and eating, washing her dishes before heading up to bed, exhaustion finally settling in.  She yawned and quietly shut her door, curling up under her covers and drifting off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is really late and really short. I meant to have this posted before Halloween, but I got super busy with work and working on Halloween stuff, so here it is. I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as I can. Thank you for being patient.

“Alright, kid…” Barry said as he set down a box, letting out a breath and dusting off his hands, looking over at Wally.  “Looks like that’s the last of it.  Need any help unpacking?”  Wally smiled slightly and crossed her arms.

 

“No, I think I can handle it.  If I need any help, I’ll give you a call, okay?”  Barry let out a sigh, but smiled anyway and pulled her into a hug.

 

“I’m gonna miss having you around, Wally.  Don’t be a stranger.  Iris will probably kill you if you don’t visit.”  She laughed softly and opened her mouth to reply when someone cleared their throat behind them.

 

“Are you two done?  I still need to move my stuff in, if you don’t mind.”  Wally pouted slightly and pulled away to look at Artemis.  “You’re both in the way.”

 

“Wow, how rude.  We were having a moment.”  Artemis smirked slightly and rolled her eyes.

 

“Have a moment later.  I need help bringing my stuff inside.”  Wally stuck her tongue out, but went outside to help bring in boxes anyway, Barry not too far behind.  Once everything was inside, Barry said his goodbyes and left the two girls to get settled.  Wally let out a breath, hands on her hips.

 

“Let’s start unpacking, then.  You’ll have the place to yourself later tonight, though.  Nightwing owes me a night out.”

 

“Yeah, okay.  Which bedroom do you want?”

 

“Whichever one you don’t pick.  I’m not picky about it,” Wally said, opening a few boxes and starting to put things in their places.  Artemis nodded and picked up a few of her own boxes, choosing a bedroom and putting her things down.  The duo spent a few hours unpacking most of the boxes and taking a trip to the nearest store to buy groceries and any other essentials.  “Alright, this should be enough for now.  I’m gonna get changed then head out.  Don’t wait up or anything.”

 

“Don’t get into too much trouble.  I’m not gonna come bail you out.”  Wally smirked and stuck her tongue out before disappearing into her room to change.  She reappeared a few minutes later, saluting lazily before hurrying out the door.  Using a Zeta tube, she found herself in Bludhaven, looking around slightly before running up a building and standing on the rooftop, glancing around for any sign of Nightwing.  She perked up when she spotted him, grinning widely and rushing towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  He blinked in surprise, then smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

 

“Hey.  Were you waiting long?”

 

“Nope!  I just got here!  So, where are you taking me tonight, Mr. Grayson?”

 

“You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you, Miss West?”  She blinked then grinned more, looping her arm through his as they started their night out together.  He led her around Bludhaven, showing her new places to eat and places where they could just enjoy each other’s company.  As it grew later and later, she reluctantly left his side to return home.  “I’ll come visit as soon as I can.  We can grabs something at Jitters.”  She grinned slightly at that.

 

“I’d like that.  See you later.”  She kissed his cheek before disappearing into the Zeta tube, stepping out back in Central City.  Stretching her arms above her head with a yawn, she looked around to be sure no one was looking before running back home, nearly running back to her uncle’s house before stopping and redirecting herself to her own home.  She quietly opened the door and stepped inside, glancing around the darkened living room before shutting the door and stepping as quietly as she could back to her room.

 

“Don’t you have class in the morning?”  Wally yelped and jumped, turning around with wide eyes to see Artemis standing behind her, a small smirk on her lips and a hand on her hip.  Wally stared at her for a few moments, clutching at her chest as she tried to calm her rapid heartbeat.

 

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?  Warn me next time.”

 

“Why would I do that?  Anyway, I wanted to make sure you got home alright.  Especially since you have class in the morning and I won’t be waking you up after your alarm goes off.”

  
“Ugh, okay, okay.  I’m going to bed now.  Geez, you’re worse than Uncle Barry… And I’m not even gonna ask how you know my class schedule.  Good _night_ , Artemis.”  Artemis smirked and laughed softly, shaking her head as Wally walked back to her room.  Wally huffed a bit, letting out a soft sigh and changing into her pajamas, flopping onto her bed and closing her eyes.  She fell asleep easily, completely relaxed as she dreamed of the times before she began losing people precious to her.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy (early) New Year! I wanted this done by Christmas, but Christmas snuck up on me real quick so I didn't have time to finish this when I wanted to. But anyway, here it is!

Three Years Later…

 

**Blue Bird [20:55]:** _ hey, i need your help with something. _

 

**Spitfire [20:56]:** _ suit up y/n _

 

**Blue Bird [20:56]:** _ no.  but we finally found roy _

 

**Spitfire [20:56]:** _ where??  i’ll meet you there! _

 

**Blue Bird [20:57]:** _ d.c.  get dressed and hurry over. _

 

**Spitfire [20:57]:** _ got it!  just gotta finish this assignment and then i’ll run over _

 

**Blue Bird [20:57]:** _ i’m with ga and canary, call if you have trouble finding us _

 

**Spitfire [20:57]:** _ got it!  see you soon! _

 

Wally let out a soft breath and set down her phone, turning back to the paper she was working on.  She sighed softly, resting her fingers on the keyboard and letting them fly across the keys with the use of her speed.  She saved and sent of the paper to her professor before changing as fast as she could, nearly tripping herself on her sweatpants.

 

“Artemis, I’m going out!” she called as she rushed to the door, pulling on her coat.  Artemis stared at her, a bit startled that she was in such a rush.

 

“What’s the rush?  Is everything okay?”

 

“They found Roy!  I need to go!”  With that, she was gone, already running to the nearest Zeta tube.  By the time she arrived in D.C., she was panting and already out of breath.  “Man, I’m out of shape…”  She rushed on top of the nearest building, looking around for any sign of Nightwing or Roy.  In the distance, she spotted a figure shoot a zipline arrow, running towards it in hopes that it was either Roy or Green Arrow.  She came to a halt when she spotted Nightwing, still panting as she came to stand beside him.  Nightwing looked relieved that she had arrived for a brief moment before directing her attention to where Roy was arguing with Green Arrow.

 

“I don’t need any help from any of  _ you _ .  You’ve all given up on finding the real Roy!   _ I’m  _ the only one still looking!”  Wally frowned slightly, looking Roy over with worried eyes at how thin he was and how he had stumbled after he landed from his zipline.  He looked like a ghost of his former self.  She hardly registered that Black Canary was already speaking to Roy about his health when she parted her lips to speak, Nightwing glancing at her knowingly.

 

“What happened to you?”  All eyes turned to her and she was reminded of the day she quit the Team.  Everyone stared at her with those startled looks as if it was a shock she was speaking.  She hated that look.  Especially from those she cared about.  Swallowing down the irritation and frustration, she focused her attention on what she wanted to say.  “What happened to you, Roy?”

 

“Excuse me?” Roy asked irritably, shaking himself out of his shock a bit and glaring at Wally, blue and green staring each other down.  He was trying to get her to back down and back out of the conversation, but Wally was done watching her friends make terrible choices and destroy themselves.  She straightened up and started towards him.

 

“You heard me, Harper.  What happened to you?  You used to be so much better than this!  You used to treat your body like a temple!  So what changed, huh?!  What could have possibly happened to make you stop taking care of yourself?!”  They stood face to face, Wally finally eye level with him after years of being shorter than him, though now that they were close, she looked marginally more fit than he was despite the fact that she had not been training since she quit.

 

“Two can play the last name game, West!  I’m in the best shape of my life!  Get off my fucking back, alright?!”

 

“Prove it.”

 

“What?!”

 

“Prove it!  Try and beat me in a fight!  Prove that you’re in the best shape of your life and I’ll leave you alone!”  Roy snarled at her, stepping back and readying to attack.  Wally stood there and glared at him, daring him to try.  Without any warning, she darted forward and attacked, easily sending Roy to the ground.  “You can’t even defend yourself against someone who hasn’t been in the field for a few years.  What does that say to you, Roy?”  Roy grunted and staggered to his feet, no longer looking at Wally.

 

“...You said I used to treat my body like a temple.  I no longer believe that.  My body is just a clone.  I won’t stop until I find the real Roy Harper, even at the cost of my own body.  No matter how fake it is.”  Green Arrow stepped in, Wally taking the hint and retreating back to Nightwing’s side.

 

“Roy, I understand you feel this way about yourself, but you are your own person.  Why don’t you join me again?  We can fight crime like the old days!”  Roy growled and got in Green Arrow’s face, glaring at him.

 

“I don’t deserve to fight alongside you!  It should be the real Roy fighting with you, not me!”  Before he could continue, Jim Harper - the former Guardian - spoke up.

 

“I understand, Roy.  It’s hard accepting you’re a clone.  It’s the reason why I gave up the title of Guardian.”  Roy turned on Jim now, eyes still narrowed.

 

“I don’t want to hear it from someone who gave up looking for the real Speedy.”  Jim held up his hands in surrender, but didn’t back down just yet.

 

“We searched Cadmus for Speedy, but the Light didn’t keep him alive.  The policy in Cadmus was to delete source material.”  Roy scowled and looked away, clenching his fists.  “You need to live, to honor the real Roy.”  Roy frowned at that, but unclenched his fists, slumping his shoulders in defeat.  He looked around at everyone that had gathered, his eyes falling on Wally as if really seeing her this time.

 

“...Wally, why are you here?  I thought you gave up this hero business?” he asked, his voice softer than earlier.  Wally blinked in surprise before smiling a bit.

 

“I may have ditched this whole hero gig, but I’d never ditch my friends.   _ You’re  _ my friend, not Speedy.”  Nightwing nodded his agreement, smirking slightly.

 

“Speedy was taken before we ever even met him.  You’re the one we trained with, fought with, and were friends with.  No way we’d ever abandon you,” Nightwing added.  Roy sighed, looking defeated.

 

“...If it’s true that the real Speedy is dead, I suppose I have no reason to continue searching.  I’ll go off on my own still, though.”  Roy paused for a moment.  “...Thanks.  I should probably get going.  It’s getting late and I need to get some sleep.”

 

“And eat something!  Next time I see you, you better have filled out, Harper!” Wally added, smirking and sticking out her tongue when he looked over.  Roy smirked back and walked over to her, punching her shoulder playfully.

 

“And  _ you  _ better not get any taller the next time I see you.  You’re almost taller than me!  Though it looks like Nightwing has us beat…”

 

“I know right?!  It’s so unfair!  He was, like, the shortest and now he’s the tallest!”

 

“Hey!  I wasn’t  _ that  _ short!” Nightwing said, crossing his arms and frowning as Wally laughed at him and Roy simply smirked.

 

“Alright, stay safe, you two.  I gotta get going,” Roy said, starting to turn away.

 

“Stay in touch, Roy!  And you stay safe, too!”

 

“Yeah, yeah.  Go home, West.”  Roy waved her off, firing a zipline.

 

“Love you, too!” she called after him, smiling widely and waving even though he couldn’t see.  Once he was out of sight, she let out a breath and stretched her arms above her head.  “Well, this was fun!  But I have class in the morning, so I gotta go or Artemis will not wake me up in the morning.  Goodnight and see you all sometime in the future!”  She kissed Nightwing’s cheek quickly before running off to the closest Zeta tube, rushing home as fast as she could.

 

“Welcome home, nerd.  It’s past midnight, so hurry up and get some sleep.” was the greeting Wally received when she opened the front door.

 

“Yeah, yeah.  Happy Valentine’s day to you, too.  Check under your pillow for your chocolates this year.  Goodnight.”  Artemis smirked and stuck her tongue out.

 

“Goodnight.  Chocolates are on top of your pillow, you weirdo.”  Wally chuckled and yawned, heading to bed and setting the little box of chocolates from Artemis on her nightstand, blinking when her phone went off.

 

**Blue Bird [00:05]:** _ so you ran off before i could tell you i made valentine’s plans _

 

**Spitfire [00:05]:** _ is it a surprise or am i allowed to know this year? _

 

**Blue Bird [00:06]:** _ still a surprise.  i’ll pick you up after your class. _

 

**Spitfire [00:06]:** _ aww you know i only have class tomorrow _

 

**Spitfire [00:06]:** _ today? _

 

**Spitfire [00:06]:** _ either way, you’re a creeper _

 

**Blue Bird [00:07]:** _ yeah okay, i love you too _

 

**Blue Bird [00:07]:** _ i’ll give you enough time to change out of whatever you wear to class and then i’ll pick you up _

 

**Spitfire [00:07]:** _ how sweet _

 

**Spitfire [00:07]:** _ anyway, i have to get some sleep _

 

**Blue Bird [00:08]:** _ goodnight, wally _

  
She smiled softly and set her phone down, plugging it in so it would charge for tomorrow before changing into her pajamas and flopping onto her bed, closing her eyes and peacefully drifting off to sleep, content with the thought that she was able to help at least one of her rogue friends.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is long overdue. Sorry for the wait, but I hope you guys enjoy it all the same.

Wally hummed boredly as she worked on a paper for one of her classes, leaning her cheek into her palm and glancing at her phone when she heard a familiar ringtone go off.  She pouted at the name on the screen, debating on whether or not she should answer. The paper was pretty important and due before spring break began, but the call could be more important.  With another sigh, she grabbed her phone and answered the call.

 

“Yes, blue bird?”

 

_ “Wally, hey, I know you’re probably busy.  Sorry to interrupt whatever you’re working on,”  _ Nightwing apologized, sounding sincerely sorry that he had bothered her while she was doing homework.  She shook her head slightly and leaned back in her chair, paper saved and forgotten for now.

 

“No, I’m glad you called while I was working.  I needed to take a break anyway. What’s up?”

 

_ “Well, something interesting happened a couple of hours ago.” _

 

“Oh?  Did Robin finally get rid of that stick up his ass?” She joked, laughing when she heard Nightwing chuckle on the other end.

 

_ “Unfortunately no.  Um… this actually concerns you.”   _ She frowned and sat up straight, brow furrowing.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

_ “Well… An anomaly showed up in the Cave earlier today.  A kid popped out of a time machine dressed in a speedster suit and claimed to be Barry’s grandson from the future.  Started calling himself Impulse.” _

 

“...Wow, okay.  That’s… A lot to take in.”  She paused a moment before a realization hit her.  “Wait, wait, wait. Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris don’t have any kids.  At least, as far as I know, but I think I would’ve noticed.”

 

_ “Yeah, that part threw me off, too.  Impulse does know all of our secret identities, though.  He outed me and Robin in front of Gar.” _

 

“Rude.”

 

_ “Yeah, I know.  Anyway, just wanted to let you know he was heading towards Jay’s place.  I already alerted Barry about him, so head over whenever you can.”  _ She let out a breath, running her fingers through her hair and starting to pull on her shoes.

 

“Yeah, I’ll head over now.  Thanks for letting me know. I’ll meet up with you later to let you know how it goes, okay?”

 

_ “I’m looking forward to it.  See you later, Wally.” _

 

“Yeah, see you.”  With that, she hung up.  Getting to her feet and stretching slightly, she heard several pops and cracks come from her body from sitting for so long.  Letting out a sigh through her nose, she grabbed her coat from where she had thrown it on her bed and started towards the door.  Artemis looked over at her from the kitchen, tilting her head curiously.

 

“Going somewhere?  I was just in the middle of making lunch.”  Wally shrugged and tugged her coat on, not looking over at her.

 

“Some family stuff came up that I gotta go take care of.  I’ll be back later, alright?” Wally didn’t wait for an answer before quickly heading out the front door, running towards the Garrick household.  Skidding to a stop, she straightened her clothes before opening the door, surprise making its way onto her face when she finally saw Impulse. This kid looked remarkably similar to Barry, Iris, and even herself.  His hair was a dark brown, though it held a reddish color to it, most likely from the West family side of him. He had the signature West family green eyes and, though they were faint, Wally could see the freckles dotting his cheeks and nose.  She looked away from Impulse to see that everyone else in the house was looking at her with the same look of surprise she had. Barry was the first to speak up.

 

“Wally?  What’re you doing here?  I thought you were busy since finals were coming up.”

 

“...Oh!  Um, I  _ was  _ busy, but uh… Nightwing gave me a call about that one over there,” she explained, pointing at Impulse but never taking her eyes off of her uncle.  “I had to see this Impulse for myself.” Impulse, otherwise known as Bart Allen, blinked then grinned widely and rushed forward, hugging Wally tight.

 

“Wally West!!  It’s so nice to finally meet you, first cousin once removed!”  Wally grimaced slightly and pushed Bart away, a bit unsure of how hyperactive he was.

 

“Hence, removed,” she grumbled, brushing off her shirt and taking a step away from Bart.  Suddenly, a phone began ringing, Barry immediately checking his own. Iris checked her phone, blinking when it was hers that was ringing.  Instantly, Bart looked a little nervous.

 

“Hey, it’s probably not that important!  Aren’t we celebrating here? We got the whole family together!” he said, smiling widely and clearly trying to distract Iris from taking the phone call.  Iris gave him an odd look before answering her phone, turning away from Bart slightly. She spoke on the phone for a few moments before nodding to herself and turning to Barry.

 

“Barry, there’s trouble at Central City square.  A new supervillain just appeared there.” Barry nodded, heading towards the door.  Bart looked a bit panicked, though he tried to hide it by grinning widely and grabbing Barry’s wrist.

 

“Hey!  I’m sure it’ll be fine!  It’s probably nothing the authorities can’t handle.”

 

“Sorry, kid,” Barry said, not catching the jealousy flashing in Wally’s eyes.  “It’s my job to protect this city. I’ll be back soon.” With that, Barry changed into his costume and ran out the door.  Wally sighed through her nose, looking down at Bart. The two stared at each other for a few moments before Wally shrugged and crossed her arms across her chest.

 

“I already know nothing’s gonna stop you.  Go ahead after him.” Bart grinned widely, taking this as having permission to run into battle.  He ran off, leaving the others standing in the living room. Wally sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head.  Iris smiled softly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“You were exactly the same when you were his age, Wally.”

 

“I know and that’s what’s so frustrating to me.  He just… needs to chill out for five minutes.” With another sigh, Wally made up her mind, running her fingers through her hair.  “I’m going after them. Can’t let the new kid get all the glory.” As she turned to walk out the door, Iris grabbed her wrist.

 

“Wait, Wally, you can’t go out there.  You might get hurt or worse.” Wally gently pulled her wrist out of her aunt’s grasp, glancing back at her.

 

“I’m not going out there like this, Aunt Iris.  Kid Flash is coming back for today.” She rushed out the door, running home and digging through her closet to find her old costume, pulling it and her goggles out and quickly changing.  Pulling her goggles down over her eyes, she ran towards Central City square. Her eyes were drawn to the villain as she approached, resting her goggles on her forehead and walking towards the police chief for an update on the situation.  Barry noticed that she had arrived, grinning and darting over with Bart not too far behind.

 

“Hey, kid!  Good to see you back out in the field.  Anyway, chief, the best you can do for now is keep any civilians away until we figure out a plan.”  Wally nodded, hands on her hips.

 

“So, anyone have any ideas?  You two were here before me, so you have a better idea of what this guy is capable of.”  Impulse hummed in thought tilting his head slightly before perking up with a wide smile.

 

“I got it!  We could create a funnel to contain him!” he said, turning towards the Flash.  Flash nodded, still grinning.

 

“Great idea!  And then we could…” he said, the two going back and forth, their speech increasing in speed until it was impossible to tell what they were talking about.  Wally glanced back in forth between the two of them, only able to catch every third word or so. Finally frustrated with being left out, Wally waved her hand to get their attention.

 

“Hey, guys?  Slow it down, yeah?  Some of us can’t talk that fast.”  The two speedsters stopped talking and looked over at her, Impulse grinning and seemingly unfazed by her annoyed expression.

 

“Just follow us, alright, cousin?”

 

“Don’t call me that,” she mumbled, pulling her goggles down.  Impulse simply grinned at her before following Flash to make the wind tunnel, Wally following soon after.  The trio raced around Neutron, creating a wind tunnel. Neutron was lifted into the air, the blasts of energy rising with him so they couldn’t hurt any civilians.  His suit began cracking from the force of the wind before finally breaking as the wind exploded around him. Wally felt two people grab each of her arms and drag her away from the blast, releasing her when they were a safe distance away.  She activated her goggles and observed Neutron carefully, frowning slightly. “This isn’t good… He seems even more unstable than before. Looks like the suit acted as some kind of stabilizer.”

 

“Let me see, kid.”  She handed over the goggles, ignoring Impulse when he said he wanted a look.  Flash observed Neutron as well, frowning worriedly at what he saw. “Looks like he’s about to explode again.  I’m gonna need to get him to a desert if we want to save the city.” Wally frowned and took her goggles back, opening her mouth to protest, but Flash was already running towards Neutron, Impulse at his heels.  She threw her hands up in exasperation, watching as Impulse tripped Flash just as Neutron exploded. She darted forward, grabbing her uncle and making a move to grab Impulse as well, despite knowing she wouldn’t be able to run fast enough carrying both of them.  She looked up when someone else picked Impulse up, eyes widening to see Jay Garrick there.

 

“Jay-” she started to say, but he shook his head.

 

“Not now, Wally.  Wait until we get a safe distance away with these two.”  She swallowed but nodded, running to safety while supporting her uncle.  Once the explosion died down, Barry let out a breath and straightened up.

 

“Thanks, kid.  To tell you the truth, I probably wouldn’t have made it to the desert in time.”  She smiled slightly.

 

“Not a problem.  It’s nice to be the one to save your ass for once.”  The two shared a laugh, smiling widely at each other.  “So, Jay, what’re you doing here? I thought you were retired for good.”

 

“I could say the same for you, young lady!  Last I heard, you hung up your cowl for good!”  Wally shrugged and looked off to the side.

 

“I’m still on call for the Team just in case they need my help.”  As the other speedsters were talking, Impulse ran off towards the fallen Neutron, leaning down and dropping a pill, causing Neutron to return to normal.  Wally was the first to notice Impulse was gone, running over to him and looking down at the normal Neutron, hands on her hips. Barry and Jay appeared at her side, the three of them looking at Neutron before looking at Bart.  Bart shrugged and grinned innocently.

 

“I dunno how he returned to normal!  He was like this when I got over here!”  Jay and Barry accepted this, but Wally thought he was suspicious.  She huffed and looked away from him, instead focusing on the authorities taking Neutron away.  Barry touched her shoulder gently and smiled at her.

 

“After all the media stuff, do you want to stay for dinner?  I’m sure Iris would love to have you again.” Wally pursed her lips, looking apologetic.

 

“Sorry, but uh… I have to meet Nightwing soon.  I’ll come by tomorrow night, I promise. Today’s just been a little crazy for me…” she said, both of them keeping their voices low so no one could eavesdrop.  “We do have a lot of catching up to do, but it’ll have to wait another day. Love you, Uncle Barry. Tell Aunt Iris I love her, too.” She smiled and hugged him, relaxing when he hugged her back and even squeezed her slightly.

 

“Stay safe, kiddo.  You’re always welcome back home.”  She nodded and smiled a bit more before running back to her house to change out of her costume.  Once changed, she took the nearest Zeta tube to the Cave, ignoring the looks she was getting as she stepped into Mount Justice, keeping her focus on Nightwing.

 

“So, what did you think of Impulse?” he asked, turning to look at her.

 

“He needs to majorly chill.  Now I know what it was like dealing with me at that age.”  Nightwing chuckled slightly and shook his head.

 

“You weren’t  _ that  _ bad.  Just excited.”  The Zeta tubes went off again, Impulse running into the room and to his time machine.  Wally turned to watch him, crossing her arms and jutting out her hip. Impulse grinned widely as he opened up the door, waving to everyone that had gathered.

 

“Well, goodbye, everybody!  It’s been crash, but I gotta get back to the future!”  With that, he hopped into the time machine and shut the door.  Everyone watched expectantly, but nothing happened. Bart hopped out again, frowning and looking over the time machine carefully.  “Well, looks like the circuits are fried. Guess I’m stuck in the past, now…”

 

“Great…”  Wally grumbled, looking off to the side.  Bart noticed her and grinned.

 

“Hey, cuz, can I-”

 

“No!”


	19. Chapter 19

If she was being honest with herself, she probably should have expected to be thrown back into the hero business like this.  The Team had found out about their deep cover mission with Kaldur, all of them understandably hurt and confused that it was kept a secret from them.  The Light and the Reach had both found out about Kaldur’s betrayal to them at the same time, leading to an all out fight that resulted in Savage, Klarion, a Reach scientist, and Black Beetle escaping.  None of that would have really mattered to her. It happens from time to time that villains escape from the hero’s grasp. Unfortunately, things are never easy for a hero.

 

Natural disasters started popping up everywhere, mostly in major cities and mostly around the same time.  It was worrying and odd and nothing any of them had seen before. Naturally, it worried Nightwing and a lot of the League members.  Wally had hoped that everything would be quiet for a while after the failed summit meeting with the Light and Reach the night before, but she supposed that was wishful thinking.  It always was. She got the call from Nightwing to suit up and head to Mount Justice for mission debriefing and dispatch. Once she had arrived, she was told that the entire planet was in danger and they needed to deactivate the Reach disruptors that would destroy the Earth as they knew it if they weren’t taken care of.  Naturally, she was paired with Nightwing and the two were sent off to Paris to take care of the disruptor there.

 

“Hey, Wally!” Nightwing called out as Wally ran by.  She didn’t stop, but stayed nearby as they took down the drones surrounding the disruptor.  “When the world’s not in danger, I’m gonna take you to Paris! It’ll be fun, just you and me for a while!”  Wally laughed and managed to plant a kiss on his cheek as she passed him to get to the disruptor, successfully deactivating it before running back over to him.  “What do you think?”

 

“The world is always going to need saving.  But I think a vacation would be nice, blue bird.”  He smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her as he began giving his report.

 

“Nightwing reporting in.  The disruptor in Paris has successfully been deac-”  He was cut off by Wally kissing him sweetly, her arms wrapped around his neck, the two ignoring the confusion in their comms from the unfinished report.  They pulled away after a bit, both grinning at each other, chests pressed against each other. Both of their comms went off, causing them to pull away from each other to listen to the message.

 

_ Attention all heroes!  There is a twenty-first disruptor!  It is located in the North Magnetic Pole!  Make your way to that location as quickly as possible! _

 

“Guess I should go on ahead.  I’ll meet you there, okay?” Nightwing nodded and kissed her forehead.

 

“Good luck, Wally.”  She grinned and gave him a quick kiss before running off, leaving Nightwing behind to call for transport.  When she arrived, she saw Flash and Impulse creating a counter-cyclical vortex to the tornado around the disruptor, but it didn’t seem to be enough.  Letting out a breath, she ran towards it, falling in line with her uncle and cousin.

 

“Alright, guys!  I may not be as fast as you two, but I can give my fair share of kinetic energy!”  Barry smiled, genuinely glad to see her there.

 

“Thanks for the help, kid!  We’ll have this under control in no time with you here!”  She smiled back, watching as the two other speedsters sped up slightly, her smiling disappearing into a look of concentration.

 

“C’mon, Wally, you can do better than this…” she muttered to herself, pushing herself to run faster.  As she ran, she was struck by the energy coming off of the chrysalis, crying out a bit but not stopping.  She tried to run even faster, but she knew her slower speed was making her an exit valve for all the energy.  She panted a bit, holding up one of her hands and gasping when she saw how transparent it was. Barry, unfortunately, noticed as well and called out to Bart.

 

“We gotta slow down and siphon off some of the energy hitting Wally!”  Wally shook her head and looked up at her uncle, a sad look in her eyes as she spoke to him.

 

“It’s too late for me, Uncle Barry.  Aw, man, Nightwing’s not gonna like this!  A-And don’t even get me started on Aunt Iris…!”  Barry looked at her worriedly, reaching out to touch her, but his hand passed right through her shoulder.

 

“Kid?!”  Her eyes grew serious as she looked at him, knowing this was it for her.

 

“Just tell them… okay?”  She began to disappear right before Barry’s eyes, Barry reaching a hand out to her.

 

“Kid!!”  With the energy siphoned away, the chrysalis finally died down, allowing Barry and Bart to stop running, both panting for breath.  Barry could hear the Team cheering, but he was still in shock from what he just saw. He hear rushed footsteps approach him, straightening up to see Nightwing standing there, worry and a hint of fear on his face.  He knew exactly what Nightwing wanted to know before he even opened his mouth.

 

“...Where’s Wally?” he asked, voice soft and unsure, but it was enough to silence everyone and nearly break Barry down.  Barry swallowed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Nightwing… She wanted me to tell you…”  Nightwing shook his head slowly, eyes wide behind his mask.  Barry took a deep but shaky breath, trying not to break down in front of everyone.  “She wanted me to tell you… She loved you.”

 

“No…” Nightwing whispered.  “No, she can’t be… This can’t be real… I-I…”  Looking at him now, Barry was reminded of the day of the failed simulation, back when Nightwing and Wally were just kids, back when Nightwing had truly thought she was dead while in a simulation.

 

“I’m so sorry, Dick… She sacrificed herself for all of us…” he whispered to him.  “...Do you want to come with me to Central City? To tell Iris?” Nightwing nodded, not trusting himself to speak at the moment in fear of breaking down in front of the Team.  Barry nodded and looked over at Kaldur who took the hint immediately. He’d take over the team while they were gone. Barry helped Nightwing onto the bioship, taking the Zeta tubes to Central City with him once they arrived at the nearest one.  Nightwing pulled his mask off, wiping his eyes and trying not to cry just yet as they approached Barry’s home. Iris saw them from the window, opening the door with a smile, glad to see them safe, though she blinked when she noticed someone was missing.

 

“Barry, where’ Wally?  Is she still caught up in giving a mission report?  Or did she go home already?” Iris asked, looking between Nightwing and Barry.  Nightwing let out a shaky sigh, looking at Iris with sorrowful eyes.

 

“Can I come in, Iris?” he asked, avoiding the questions about Wally for now.  She blinked and furrowed her brow, but stepped aside to let them in. Nightwing sighed again and looked Iris in the eye, already knowing that there would be no happy ending to this.  “Iris, I… I’m sorry, but… Wally sacrificed herself to save the world. She’s not coming back.” Iris gasped, covering her mouth as tears pooled in her eyes, beginning to sob as Nightwing and Barry reached out to comfort her, all three of them crying over their lost loved one.

 

Independence Day came by much too quickly.  The Reach was finally leaving, with fanfare from around the world.  Nightwing hadn’t felt like celebrating anything. Wally’s funeral had been recently, an uncomfortable experience as there was no body to bury - only an empty coffin in a grave marked with her name.  It hurt even more when they had put up Wally’s image as Kid Flash in the Grotto. It was like having to bury her twice. He sighed softly, glancing over when someone walked up next to him and looked out the window in the Watchtower with him.  “I’m leaving the Team for a while, Kaldur. I’m leaving them in your care, and Babs is here if you ever need help.”

 

“I will look after them until you return.  I know how difficult this is for you. More so than it is for myself…”

 

“It’s not the same being here and knowing she’ll never be able to see our dream of working out of the Watchtower realized.”  Kaldur nodded his understanding, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it slightly.

 

“Take all the time you need, my friend.”

 

“Thanks, Kaldur.  I’m going to go see her in the Grotto one more time before I go.”  Kaldur nodded and released him, allowing him to head to the Grotto to say his goodbyes.  Nightwing was surprised to see Bart already there, donning Wally’s Kid Flash costume and looking up at her image with apprehension.  Nightwing gave a small smile and walked towards him. “That costume suits you.” Bart sighed and turned to look at him, throwing his arms out to the side in frustration.

 

“I feel like a fraud.  She should still be wearing this, not me.  No one should wear this costume after her…” Bart said, the last part spoken softly as he looked up at the image.  Nightwing huffed out a quiet laugh.

 

“You’re not a fraud.  She gave you that title and that costume.  You’re honoring her memory by taking it on.  She would definitely be proud seeing Kid Flash still running around Central City.”  Bart seemed to relax slightly, giving Nightwing a grateful look.

 

“Thanks… I needed that…”  There was a small pause before Bart spoke up again.  “So, what’re you doing down here? I thought you’d be giving the Team missions?”

 

“Kaldur’s taking charge of the Team for a while.  I’m taking a leave of absence while I sort things out.  I just… need to think about this for a while. And… I wanted to see her one last time before I left.”  Bart blinked then grinned and nodded, starting to leave.

 

“I’ll leave you to it, then!  And I’ll be sure to come by and tell her all the cool things that happen on my missions!”  With that, Bart left Nightwing alone near Wally’s image. He smiled softly and turned to look at her, sighing through his nose.

 

“Hey, Wally… Guess we’re not taking that trip to Paris, huh?”  He chuckled a bit before clearing his throat and continuing. “I’m going away for a long time.  I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I can’t… I can’t be around them knowing you’ll never answer my call when I need you most.  I probably won’t visit you here in the Grotto, but Bart promised that he’d come tell you his mission stories for me.” He paused, taking in her image with sad eyes.  “I love you, too.” Satisfied with his goodbye, he made his way to the Zeta tubes, pausing when he saw Kaldur starting to divide the Team up into subunits. With a small smile, he relaxed his shoulders and put in where he wanted to go in the Zeta tubes.

 

“Business as usual.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day!! I really wanted to get this one done without waiting too long to get it on here, so here it is!! Don't think this is the end, though. Season 3 may not be out yet, but I'm going to continue with this story. This definitely isn't the end.


	20. Chapter 20

Eyes the color of emeralds opened to see a familiar room.  One they hadn’t seen in a long time. The room hadn’t changed a bit, still holding every bit of Flash and Justice League memorabilia that had been collected from younger years.  Emerald eyes closed for another moment, opening again to see that they were still in the room. Slightly confused, she sat up on the edge of her old bed, looking around her old room.  What was she doing here of all places? She could have sworn she was in the North Pole, saving the world. She did save the world. She was supposed to be dead.

 

She got to her feet, trailing her fingers over her dresser as she passed it, pausing in front of her mirror to see that she was no longer dressed in her Kid Flash costume.  Instead, she was dressed in civilian clothes, only adding to the confusion of her current situation. With a confused frown, she made her way downstairs, noticing that the house was empty of any people besides herself.  She cautiously opened the front door, eyes widening at who was standing on the other side.

 

“Wally West,” Dick Grayson said, smiling softly at her and definitely not supposed to be wherever she was.  “So glad you could finally join us. I hope you rested well.” Wally blinked, then rubbed her eyes a bit, unsure if this was even real.

 

“...Dick?  What’re you doing here?  I-I thought…?” Dick continued to smile, as if he understood her confusion and was prepared to answer her questions if necessary.  He tilted his head slightly, looking slightly amused, however.

 

“Dick Grayson?  Is that how you perceive us?  Fascinating.” Wally furrowed her brow slightly, but wasn’t given a chance to ask what he meant when he continued.  “To answer some of your questions, I am not Dick Grayson. Where we are and who I look like to you is just projected from your mind and memories.  I wonder, did Barry Allen ever tell you about us?” Wally tilted her head slightly, still confused as to who this could possibly be if it wasn’t Dick.  A sudden thought came to her, her mind clicking on a story her uncle had told her when she was young.

 

“You’re… the speedforce, right?  You’re taking the form of someone I hold dear to me.  Uncle Barry told me about you. Wait, so does this mean I’m not dead?!”  Dick shook his head slightly and took a few steps back, gesturing for her to follow.

 

“Let’s take a walk, Wally West.  We may talk as we go.” She sighed softly, but agreed, stepping completely out of the house and walking beside Dick.  “No, you are not dead, Wally West. Because you still have a full life ahead of you, we made the decision to rescue you from death and bring you here.  Once you have recovered, we will tell you how to return.”

 

“Recovered?” she asked as they walked along the path near the river.

 

“Your physical body experienced an incredible amount of trauma.  It will be some time before you may return.”

 

“How long are we talking here?”

 

“It is hard to tell.  Have no fear, Wally West, time moves differently here than it does in your reality.  However, a long time will have passed by the time you return to your loved ones.” She nodded slightly, looking out over the river and relaxing slightly.  “I wish to ask  _ you  _ a question, Wally West.”

 

“Shoot,” she said, still looking over at the river.

 

“Do you believe yourself to be the inferior speedster?”  She jolted slightly in surprise, looking over at Dick with an offended expression on her face.  “I did not mean to insult you. I simply wish to know if you yourself believe that you are the inferior speedster.”  Wally pouted and looked away again, looking less offended and more frustrated.

 

“So what if I do?  It’s true, isn’t it?  I’m the slowest speedster out of everyone.  Even Bart is faster than me and he’s a third generation speedster!”  Dick nodded knowingly, stepping in front of her and taking her hands in both of his.  “W-What’re you doing?”

 

“Wally West, you were never meant to be the slowest speedster.  You were always destined to overcome even Barry Allen in terms of speed.  I have seen your insecurities and I wish to tell you that you are wrong about yourself.”

 

“...I’m supposed to be the fastest?”

 

“Correct.  That is part of your recovery here.  With our assistance, you will unlock your true speedster powers.  The power you had been using all this time had only been a small portion of your true power.  Now, come. We have work to do.” He released her hands and began walking down the path again, Wally hurrying after him.  “Your recovery will be complete in no time. In the meantime, you are free to ask us any questions you may have.”

 

“Well, to start with, why was I only able to use a portion of my true power?”

 

“You had jumpstarted your own transition into a speedster.  Because you were so young, we feared your already traumatized body would not be able to handle the amount of power we had wanted to give you.”

 

“Okay, so why not give me more as I got older.”

 

“Once you had matured, we had planned to slowly give you more, but you had yet again surprised us by giving up your hero life.  It would not have been wise to give you power you would not have used. When you intended to sacrifice yourself to save the Earth, it was far too late to give you your full powers.  We deeply apologize, Wally West. We could have saved you earlier.”

 

“It wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own.  I guess I was a hero until the end. I doubt Dick saw it that way, though.”

 

“We cannot say, as we cannot see Dick Grayson.”

 

“Well, I suppose I’ll just find out for myself when I get back.”  Dick smiled slightly, glancing over at her.

 

“That is what we have always liked about you Wally West.  You have never been afraid to find answers for yourself.” Wally blinked then grinned and laughed a bit.

 

“So, I doubt I’ll just return to my reality with all new powers and shit.  I feel like you’re going to make me work for it.”

 

“You would be correct.  You must face your fears, Wally West.  Once you are able to defeat him, you will be ready for your full power.”

 

“Him?” she asked, turning her head to look at Dick just as something ran by her, her eyes catching the sight of blue lightning.  Her eyes widened in fear and surprise, whipping her head around to try and follow the lightning, but it was already gone.

 

“He is not the real Zoom, Wally West.  Only something we brought into existence for you to overcome here.”

 

“Do I even have my speed in here?”  Dick smirked slightly, glancing down at her with a playful glint in his eyes.

 

“Perhaps we failed to mention.  You must catch your speed as well, if you wish defeat Zoom.”  Before she could question what that meant, something came rushing past her again.  She turned to look, seeing a shadow of herself standing just down the path from her.  It flickered and seemed blurry, almost as if it was in a constant state of movement. She pouted and narrowed her eyes in concentration, readying herself before running directly towards it, continuing on her path and chasing it even as it darted out of her grasp.  She eventually slowed down, panting heavily and running her fingers through her hair.

 

“Goddammit.  It’s a lot harder running without my speed than I thought…”  She let out a breath and straightened up, looking around at where she ended up.  She seemed to be near STAR Labs. Maybe her speed shadow had run into there while she wasn’t paying attention.  She took it slow getting into the building, stopping at the floor Caitlin and Cisco’s labs were at, looking around and catching a glimpse of her speed out of the corner of her eye.  She hurried after it, peeking into an empty lab room and quietly stepping inside.

 

Inside, she spotted her shadow tucked under a desk, almost as if it was cowering.  Her eyes softened, though she blinked when the image of her younger self and Dick appeared in front of her.  She was curled up under the desk, shaking and scared after seeing blue lightning in Barry’s usual yellow. Dick, Robin at the time, was crouched down and speaking to her gently, trying to coax her out.  She couldn’t hear any words, but she knew the memory all too well. She smiled slightly and crouched down where Dick’s image was, his image disappearing, but her younger image did not, staring up at her with fearful green eyes.  She smiled and held out her hand gently, not even flinching when her younger self flinched away from her.

 

“Hey… I know you’re scared of Zoom.  We went through a lot with him, didn’t we?” Wally said, speaking as if her speed had been there when she was a small child.  “He is very scary and I never thought I’d see the day where we would face him again, but here we are. Back then, we couldn’t do anything to stop him.  But now we can, okay? Come on. There’s nothing we can’t handle as long as we’re together. We’re stronger than that.” Her younger self blinked and stared at her for a few seconds before reaching out and taking her hand, pausing and then hugging her.  She hugged it back, her speed coming back to her as she did so. She let out a breath and got to her feet, stretching slightly. “Alright, let’s go for a test run.”

 

Taking a deep breath, she relaxed herself and closed her eyes, letting out her breath and kicking off, speeding through the halls of STAR Labs and out the front door.  Stopping and shaking herself out of it a bit. That felt faster than she had ever gone before. “That is because we are giving you more and more of your power.” She blinked and looked to her left, seeing Dick there with a small smile.

 

“You do not have to defeat Zoom in any combat.  You must simply catch him. Once you accomplish that, we will give you all of your power and show you the way to return to your reality.  Good luck, Wally West. You will need it.” She grinned and nodded, feeling much like she had when she had first received her powers. Letting out another breath, she glanced around for any sign of Zoom, spotting a trace of his lightning in the distance and rushing towards it.

 

“You’re not getting away from me,” she growled, running after any glimpses of blue lightning she could find.  She ran for what seemed like forever, never slowing down or running out of stamina, chasing Zoom as fast as she could.  She could see him now, closing in on him and reaching a hand out, tagging the back of his costume. Immediately, both of them stopped, Zoom glancing back at Wally and nodding, accepting his defeat in the chase before vanishing.  Wally let out a sigh of relief, turning around to see Dick behind her.

 

“Well done, Wally West.  We promised you a reward and you shall have it.  Come closer so that we may give you the remainder of your power.”  She smiled and relaxed, stepping closer to him. Dick reached out and placed a hand on her head.  “Prepare yourself.” was the only warning she received before pain shot through her body and her vision went white.  It lasted only a moment before her vision returned and she let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Congratulations, Wally West.  You are now as you should be. Are you ready to return home?”

 

“Of course.  I’m ready to see everyone again.”  Dick nodded and pointed towards the river, looking back at her.

 

“We have been sending signals to STAR Labs, alerting them to the fact that we will open the portal to their world from here.  They do not know how to interpret these signals and haven’t for a while, but we are certain everyone we need is there now.”

 

“Everyone you need?  What do you mean?” But he continued as if she hadn’t spoken.

 

“Once we open the portal, you must run into it and not leave until the one closest to your heart takes you by the hand and pulls you back into your reality.  Do you understand?”

 

“I… Yes, I understand.”

 

“Good.  We are opening the portal now.”  Dick snapped his fingers, a large tornado-like vortex of lightning and shadow appearing on the river.  “Run, Wally West. Run.” She swallowed, readying herself before sprinting headlong into the vortex.

 

“I’m coming home.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting for this one, guys! This one is a long one, but it definitely needs to be!  
> Also, you guys should check out 1captainjordan4.deviantart.com  
> She made a couple of awesome pieces of fanart for this fic, so definitely check her out! I'll put links to the pieces she made at the end of the chapter.

4 Years Later…

 

Four years.  It had been four years since the Reach invasion.  Four years since the world had been saved. Four long, painful, lonely years since Wally West had sacrificed herself to save everyone.  It was hard to forget. Every year on the anniversary of the event, he visited her grave in Central City. Two years after the invasion, the city had erected a statue honoring Kid Flash and her sacrifice.  Of course, Kid Flash was still around in the form of Bart Allen, but the city knew he wasn’t the original. Not after Barry as the Flash told the news what happened that day.

 

The day he would visit her grave wouldn’t be for another week, but he had received an urgent message from Barry to come straight to STAR Labs in Central City.  Whatever it was, he couldn’t miss it. With a heavy sigh, Dick Grayson made his way to the nearest Zeta tube to Central City. Hardly anyone knew what he had been up to, but he kept in contact with Barry and Iris as well as Bruce, Kaldur, and Barbara, though the latter three were not by choice.  Once he arrived at STAR Labs, he made his way down to Caitlin and Cisco’s labs.

 

“Dick!  Thank god you got here when you did!”  Dick jolted slightly in surprise at Barry suddenly appearing in front of him and grabbing his arm.  “You have to see this!”

 

“Woah, woah, Barry.  Slow down. What is so important that you had  _ me  _ come here?”

 

“About 5 months since the invasion, Cisco and Caitlin have been getting odd readings and signals.  And they’ve been coming and going all this time since the invasion,” Barry began explaining, dragging Dick down the hall, past the main lab.

 

“I’m guessing something’s happened with these signals?”

 

“They’ve been getting more and more frequent.  And, after all this time, Caitlin has finally figured out where these signals are coming from and what it’s building up to.”  As they kept moving down the hall, Dick began hearing an odd sound, assuming it was the signal Barry was talking about.

 

“What is it?”

 

“It’s the speedforce, Dick.  Do you realize what this means?”  Dick furrowed his brow in confusion, parting his lips to ask what it meant when the realization hit him.

 

“She’s still alive.”  Barry grinned widely, releasing his arm when they arrived.

 

“It’s a strong possibility.  The portal could open at any time.  I thought you should be here to see it.”  Dick perked up slightly, looking happier than he had in a long time.  Cisco was monitoring a few readings nearby while Caitlin was keeping an eye on the center of the room.  The signal grew louder and louder, lightning and dark clouds suddenly appearing in a tornado. “It’s here!  Caitlin, get Dick hooked up to the tether!” Caitlin ushered Dick over to the tether harness, starting to hook him up.

 

“All hooked up!  You need to go in there and see if you can find anyone!  If you find her, take her hand and tug on the tether so we can bring you out!” Caitlin said, raising her voice to be heard above the roar of the vortex.  “Are you ready?!”

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be!  Let’s do this!” Caitlin nodded, loosening the tether and letting Dick walk towards the vortex.  He raised an arm as he approached and lightning flashed, pushing his way into the clouds, one hand held out in front of him.  He didn’t dare call out her name just yet, the fear of her not being here still lingering, but he lowered his arm so he could try and see around him.  He kept his hand extended, looking around for any sign of her. As he looked behind him, he felt a warmth on his palm, turning back to see another hand holding his.  With a breathless smile, he grasped the hand tight, tugging on the tether a few times and making sure to keep his grip as he was pulled out of the vortex. With his hand still holding the other hand, he fell backwards out of the vortex, pulling whoever it was on top of him just as the vortex disappeared.

 

“Well, look at you, blue bird.  How is it possible that you just keep looking even better every time I see you, huh?” came a voice from above him, holding a playfulness he had so badly missed.  He opened his eyes to see green looking back at him, red hair framing a lightly freckled and matured face, the eyes holding a soft fondness for him. Getting a look at her, he noticed that while she had certainly matured slightly and had changed in appearance over time, she was still the same.  Not a perfect picture, but recognizable all the same. There was no doubt about it. The one he pulled out of the speedforce was

 

“Wally…” Dick said breathlessly, still processing that she was actually here.  She smiled at him, reaching a hand up and brushing her fingers along his cheeks, wiping away tears he didn’t even know he was shedding.

 

“I missed you, Grayson… We have a lot to catch up on…” she said softly, making him forget that they weren’t the only ones in the room at the moment.  He was brought back into the moment by Wally getting to her feet and carefully stepping over him. Dick sat up in time to see Barry run over and pull his niece into a tight hug, tears in Barry’s eyes as he held her close.

 

“Oh, god, kid… I missed you so much… It hasn’t been the same without you… I’m so glad you’re back…”  Wally smiled and clung to her uncle, burying her face in his shoulder to hide her tears.

 

“It’s good to be back.”  She pulled away after a few moments, wiping her eyes slightly and letting out a soft breath.  “I suppose I should personally go see everyone and tell them I’m not dead.”

 

“Not so fast,” Caitlin said, stopping Wally before she could run out of the room.  “You just appeared out of the speedforce. We’re running a few tests on you first to make sure you’re 100% okay.”  Wally blinked then shrugged and smiled.

 

“Seems fair.  Let’s go, then!”  The group made their way to Caitlin’s lab, Wally keeping close to Dick’s side and gently holding his hand, reassuring him that she was real and alive.  He squeezed her hand, relaxing and keeping her close. Once at the lab, she released his hand, letting Caitlin record her height and weight, and scan for any medical problems.

 

“Hmm… Everything seems to be in order.  You grew two inches and your weight seems normal.  No medical problems of any kind. Last test, we need you on the treadmill.  Let’s go.” Wally grinned and made her way onto the treadmill, taking a deep breath before beginning to run, starting out slow to warm herself up.  She quickly began picking up speed, the numbers rising and rising. “Well this can’t be right…” Barry leaned over her shoulder to look at the readings, tilting his head in confusion.

 

“Going by these readings, she’s surpassing all of my own readings… She was never this fast in the past.  Even I didn’t go through this drastic of a change when I was in the speedforce…” Caitlin frowned slightly in confusion, pressing a button and leaning towards the intercom to speak to Wally.

 

“Alright, that’s good for now, Wally.”  Wally slowed down her running, hopping off the treadmill once she had stopped and heading into the other room where everyone was waiting.  “I think we’d all like some answers as to what happened in the speedforce, Wally.”

 

“Well, it’s kind of a long story… You see, I woke up in the speedforce after who knows how long and when I walked out of the house, I had a speedforce pal that decided to look like Grayson over there.  He seemed genuinely surprised that that’s what he looked like…” she began, trailing off a bit at the end. Dick snapped his fingers in front of her face to bring her back.

 

“Back to your story.”

 

“Oh, right!  Anyway, we walked and talked a bit and I asked him questions I had.  So, it turns out the speedforce did originally plan for me to have powers, but because I was a very stupid kid, I tried to gain powers too early.  Since I was destined to be a speedster anyway, they gave me powers to pretty much save my life.”

 

“So, even if you hadn’t blown up your parents’ garage, you would have eventually gotten speedster powers?” Barry asked.

 

“Yep!  And that’s not even the best part!  They told me that the power I originally had was only a portion of what I should have been given!  The power I have now was the original plan for me from the beginning! I went from believing I was the slowest speedster to becoming to fastest to date.”  Caitlin stared at her in shock for a moment before hurriedly writing that down. Barry looked just as shocked, though he shook himself out of it.

 

“So why didn’t they just give you all the power to begin with?”

 

“My body was too young and traumatized to take it all.  They said they had planned to give it to me once I had gotten older, but I threw them for a loop when I retired as a hero.  Back to my story, they told me I had to catch Zoom but it wasn’t the real Zoom, just something from my mind that I had to overcome.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have my speed. They made me catch that, too. Kinda like what happened to you, Uncle Barry. It was a pain in the ass, but I did it.  Caitlin, do you have a hair tie?” Wally asked, easily flowing from her story to asking a simple question, holding out her hand and blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

 

“Huh?  Oh, uh, sure.”  Caitlin handed a hair tie over, Wally tying her hair up in a ponytail and tucking a bit behind her ear.

 

“So, after I have my speed, the speedforce tells me that they gave me some more of my power, but I won’t get the rest until I catch the mind Zoom.  I kept chasing after Zoom for what felt like forever, but I caught him! I got the rest of my powers and then they opened the portal home and here we are!  By the way, how long was I in there? Time operates differently in there.” Everyone glanced at each other before looking back at Wally, who didn’t seem to care that they were all giving her odd, concerned looks.  “I don’t like the silence and the staring, so y’know… any day now.”

 

“Um…” Dick started to say, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away.  “How do I say this…? Wally, you’ve been trapped in the speedforce for four years.”  She blinked and tilted her head thoughtfully, pouting slightly.

 

“Four years, huh?  That’s a long time… Longer than I thought… Nothing I can do about it now, I guess.  Am I free to go see everyone yet?” Caitlin let out a soft breath, looking over her notes before nodding.

 

“I’ll contact you if anything odd comes up about you.”  Wally perked up and grinned, stretching a bit and humming contently.

 

“I guess I should go see Aunt Iris first.”

 

“What about the Team?” Dick asked.

 

“Listen, I love Kaldur to death, don’t get me wrong, but Aunt Iris deserves to know I’m okay before he does.  She’s family…” He nodded his understanding, holding out his hand to her.

 

“Mind if I come with you, then?  There might be some things you don’t know about.”

 

“Don’t see why not.  Let’s get going,” she said, smiling softly and taking his hand, starting towards the door with Dick.  Wally intertwined their fingers as they walked, relaxing her shoulders and looking around. “Central hasn’t changed a bit since I was gone…” she said softly, her eyes catching the statue of Kid Flash.  “Well that’s new. When did they do that?”

 

“About two years after the invasion.  Barry came forward about what actually happened and they decided to pay tribute to your sacrifice.  He thought it was a little much, but the city insisted.”

 

“Well… I never really wanted a statue, but I suppose it’s nice.  Does Bart still have my old costume?” she asked as they came across the residential area of Central City.

 

“Yes, but he modified it over the years to better suit himself.  Plus, he always felt as if he was just impersonating you while wearing it, so I guess changing it helped him embrace his new title better.”  She nodded her understanding, stopping outside the front door of the West-Allen house. “I’ll go in first and get her prepared. Wait out here until I come get you.”

 

“Don’t be long.”  Dick smiled and kissed her cheek before stepping up to the front door and knocking on it.  The door opened to reveal Iris, who looked pleasantly surprised to see him standing there.

 

“Oh!  I wasn’t expecting you here until next week!  What brings you to Central City so early this year?”

 

“Well, Barry called me to STAR Labs.  Said it was something important, and it turns out it was.  You, uh, might want to sit down for this news, Iris.” She blinked in confusion but obliged and let him into the house, sitting on the couch.  Dick glanced behind him and gestured for Wally to follow him. Stepping into the house before Wally, he let out a breath. “We made an important discovery at STAR Labs earlier today.  And here it is.” Taking that as her cue, Wally stepped into the house, standing next to Dick and smiling at her aunt.

 

“Hey, Aunt Iris… I’m home…”  Iris stared at her with wide eyes, covering her mouth with both hands as tears welled in her eyes.  She got to her feet and slowly walked towards Wally, touching her cheek with one hand to confirm she was real.  With a sob and a wide smile, Iris pulled Wally into her arms, hugging her close. “I’m sorry I was gone so long…”  Iris let out a small laugh, wiping away a bit of her tears.

 

“I’m just glad you’re okay…”  Wally grinned and pulled away, wiping her eyes and opening her mouth to say something else when she heard two pairs of footsteps hurrying into the living room, turning to see two red haired children running in, a girl and boy no older than four.  They both stared at Wally with wide, curious eyes, running towards her and stopping about a foot away. Wally stared back, tilting her head slightly at the two children. “Oh! Don, Dawn! I didn’t know you two were awake!”

 

“We heard Uncle Dick come in and then we heard someone new!” the little boy, Don, said, not taking his eyes off of Wally.

 

“Yeah!  So we came to see who it was!” Dawn said, grinning widely.  “Hey, you look like the girl in the picture that mom and dad get sad over all the time!  Dad said you died saving the world!” Wally blinked then pretended to be confused, patting her hands over her torso.

 

“Well, I don’t  _ feel  _ dead.  And I definitely don’t look dead.  Or do I? Tell me, do I look like a zombie to you?” she asked, putting on her best fake dead face and holding her arms out in front of her, moaning out “Brains…” and taking a few steps towards the kids.  They squealed with laughter and ran to hide behind Dick’s legs. Wally laughed as well, dropping her arms to her side and crouching down to be somewhat eye level with them. “So, yeah, I’m your cousin Wally!  Call me what you like. I’m also currently dating your Uncle Dick.”

 

“So, if you’re dating Uncle Dick, does that make you Aunt Wally?” Don asked, peeking out at her.  She shrugged and grinned.

 

“If you wanna call me that, sure!  Whatever you feel like, okay?” The twins nodded, smiling at her.  She smiled back and stood up, stretching slightly. “I’d love to stay a little longer, Aunt Iris, but I gotta let the Team know I’m okay.  I’ll be back later, alright?”

 

“Of course.  We still have your room set up if you’re planning on staying.”

 

“Sure thing!  See you later tonight!”  Iris smiled, looking down at her kids.

 

“Say goodbye, kids.”  Don and Dawn grinned and detached themselves from Dick’s legs, instead running over and hugging Wally’s.

 

“Bye, Wally!!  Come back and play with us!”

 

“Okay, okay, I will.  I’ll come back and play.”  Seeming to be pleased with her answer, the twins released her legs and hurried over to their mother, waving as Dick and Wally left.  “So, last I remember, Mount Justice is done for. Where’s the Team hanging out now?”

 

“The Watchtower.”

 

“Holy shit, no way!  A dream come true! It’s been so long since I’ve been up there!  C’mon, let’s go!” Wally grinned widely and tugged on his hand, dragging him slightly down the street on their search for a Zeta tube.  Dick stumbled slightly, but smiled fondly and let her drag him around. Once she found a Zeta tube, she put in where they wanted to go, stepping inside the abandoned phone booth with him and letting it transport them to the Watchtower.  The room they appeared in was completely empty, but a set of footsteps could be heard coming into the room.

 

“It’s Kaldur.  If you want to surprise him, you better find a place to hide,” Dick whispered, Wally nodding and grinning in excitement, quickly hiding out of sight as Kaldur walked into the room.  She blinked and took him in from her spot, noticing that he had grown a beard. A bit weird but she supposed anything can happen in four years. Kaldur seemed a bit surprised to see Dick standing there, Wally noticing that Dick had put his sunglasses on before Kaldur had entered the room.

 

“I was not expecting a visit from you.  Is something wrong?” Kaldur asked, Dick shaking his head slightly with a slight smile.  “Then, what brings you here?”

 

“Can’t I visit an old friend?  Besides, I have something to tell you,” Dick said, placing his hand on Kaldur’s shoulder and leading him over to the large window that overlooked Earth, both of their backs to Wally at this point.  She smirked a bit, seeing this as her chance to sneak up on Kaldur. She quietly made her way over, straightening up and covering his eyes with her hands from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder with a playful grin.

 

“Guess who~!”  Kaldur jolted slightly, raising a hand to touch the ones over his eyes, tensing when he heard her voice in his ear.  She felt wetness on her fingers and smiled softly, removing her hands and moving in front of him so he could see her.  “It’s me…” Kaldur stared at her in disbelief, looking over at Dick for an explanation, tears in his eyes.

 

“A portal to the speedforce opened up and when I went in, she took my hand and I pulled her out.  Turns out she was stuck in there for four years and not… well…” Dick explained, Wally smiling still and holding out her arms for a hug.

 

“Aren’t you gonna give one of your oldest friends a hug?” she asked, grinning when he hugged her tight, grasping her tight with one hand on the back of her head.  “I missed you so much, Kaldur…”

 

“Wally… You have no idea how much we… How much  _ I  _ have missed you… The Team has not felt complete without you and Nightwing here…”  Wally smiled and squeezed him slightly. “We have much to catch up on.”

 

“Damn right we do!” she said, grinning and pulling away from the hug.  “Before that, though, is the rest of the Team here? I want them to know I’m okay and alive!”  Kaldur wiped his eyes and nodded, smiling at her.

 

“Of course they are.  I’ll call them here.” He walked over to the terminal in the center of the room, using it to call a meeting in the observation room they were in.  Soon, old and new members of the Team and even some of the Justice League members were gathered. The League members and some of the older members of the Team gasped and muttered amongst themselves when they saw who was standing next to Kaldur and Dick while newer members looked on in confusion at the stranger with red hair standing in the Watchtower.  Bart pushed his way to the front, grinning at the sight of Wally and running forward, hugging her tight.

 

“Okay, okay.  Give her some space, Bart,” Dick said, smiling and gently pushing him away from Wally.  Kaldur nodded and turned to those that gathered.

 

“Thank you for coming, everyone.  Now, we have a lot to discuss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://1captainjordan4.deviantart.com/art/Fanfic-fanart-737672620
> 
> https://1captainjordan4.deviantart.com/art/Yeaaaaaah-737854769


	22. Chapter 22

“Wally, what are you doing?  Just pick a channel,” Dick said, looking slightly amused as Wally flicked through each and every channel faster than his eyes could track.  Wally had taken to hanging out either at her uncle’s house or at Dick’s apartment, trying to figure out what she had missed in the world during those four years.

 

“I’m catching up on things.  This is really weird, I’ve only seen Uncle Barry do stuff like this before.  I can actually process all of this pretty well. Also, I’m just looking for a good movie right now,” she explained, not taking her eyes off the screen.

 

“Right… Well, we’ve been called to the Watchtower to discuss what you’ll do once you’ve adjusted properly.”

 

“Yeah, okay.  Let me get some shoes on,” she said, turning off the TV and getting to her feet.  Dick blinked and felt her rush by him, turning to see her slipping her shoes on at the door, turning to look at him with a smile.  “Ready, blue bird?”

 

“Okay, first of all, yes I’m ready.  Second, do you really have to use your speed to get to the  _ door _ of all places?  You don’t need to be there in less than a second.”

 

“Let me enjoy my life, Grayson.  Now, stop complaining or I’ll leave you behind.”  He rolled his eyes and shook his head, pulling his own shoes on and taking her hand, smirking slightly, speaking to her as if she was a child.

 

“Now, Wally, make sure you hold my hand.  We don’t want you running into traffic, do we?” he teased, laughing when she punched his shoulder with a small pout.  “I’m kidding. But seriously, don’t run ahead. I can’t keep up.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.  I know. Let’s get going.”  He grinned and nodded, walking out of the apartment with her and heading towards the nearest Zeta tube.  Once they stepped foot in the Watchtower, Kaldur approached them, smiling softly.

 

“Welcome, friends.  Come join us so that we may all talk.”  He led them over to where the Team and various members of the League were waiting for them.  Batman stepped forward, gaze focused on the couple in front of him.

 

“I assume you know why you’re here today.  We need to discuss what you’re planning on doing now that you have… returned to us.”  Wally parted her lips to answer, but was interrupted by Gar speaking up.

 

“Well, she can’t go back to being Kid Flash!  The world knows Bart as Kid Flash now!”

 

“Hey, I could go by Impulse, then!  I’ve been meaning to change my hero name anyway.  Impulse sounds much cooler,” Bart said, hands on his hips.

 

“So, she could go back to being Kid Flash?  What about the monument in Central City?” Black Canary asked, crossing her arms.

 

“What if she doesn’t even want to be Kid Flash anymore?  Maybe she wants to live a normal life still,” Connor said, frowning slightly.

 

“She  _ just  _ got new speedster powers!  Why would she not use them to be a hero?” Zatanna interjected, making a fair point.  Wally huffed slightly and straightened her back, raising her voice to be heard.

 

“Or maybe you could just let her pick for herself?” Wally said loudly, effectively silencing the debate happening.  “Thank you. Now, I’ve actually already thought about this. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I was in the speedforce.  I want to be the Flash.” There was a pause before protests and questions were thrown around. Batman stayed silent, staring down at her as if he was trying to decide if she was serious or not.  After a few moments, he raised his hand for silence, not taking his eyes off of Wally.

 

“She’s serious.  Let her explain herself before you protest her decision.”  All eyes turned to her, waiting for her to speak.

 

“...I want to be the Flash, and I believe I’m next in line anyway.  Uncle Barry’s got kids now and honestly the hero life is dangerous. I think he should retire and let me take over the mantle while he enjoys life with Aunt Iris and his kids.  I don’t want anything to happen to him, now more than ever…” Batman nodded when she finished speaking, face remaining carefully blank.

 

“I will talk to Barry about your decision.  For now, just relax and let the rest of us handle saving the world.”  With that, the meeting was adjourned. The League members went off to handle missions or return to whatever task they were doing.  The Team stayed in the observation room with Wally and Dick, talking amongst themselves. Wally looked around, noticing that Robin was staring at her with a scowl.

 

“...That… is a different Robin,” she muttered.  This new Robin was glaring and scowling at her despite her indifferent expression.  Without taking her eyes off of Robin, she spoke to Dick. “Hey, who’s the BatBrat?” Dick blinked and looked over, sighing softly and speaking softly to her.

 

“Damian Wayne.  He’s Bruce’s biological son.  He’s also kind of a little asshole.  He doesn’t like anyone getting too close emotionally to any of the old Robins.”  She hummed and nodded slightly, still not breaking eye contact with Robin.

 

“...Hey, BatBrat!  What’s your deal?” Robin scowled more, huffing and stalking towards her.

 

“My problem is you getting too close to Grayson,” he hissed through gritted teeth, keeping his voice quiet so no one could hear Nightwing’s secret identity.  “Back off, West. He doesn’t need anyone to interfere in his life.” Wally struggled to keep from laughing, glancing at Dick before looking back at Robin.

 

“Well, I don’t know if you know who I am, but I’ve known him longer than you.  I’ve been interfering with his life since I was 13. In fact, I think he wants me to interfere.”

 

“And what makes you say that?”

 

“Well, without me, he and Kaldur would probably have died back in the Cadmus incident.  If they died, there would be no Team. And no Team would mean you wouldn’t be standing here demanding that I leave my boyfriend alone after being presumed dead for four years.  I don’t think so, BatBrat. I don’t think so.” Robin huffed again,still glaring and scowling at her.

 

“I hate you with every inch of my being.”  Wally snorted and smirked.

 

“That’s not a lot of inches.”  At Wally’s response, Dick burst out laughing, nearly doubling over.  Gar, having heard the last exchange, had fallen to the ground in a fit of laughter.  Robin turned red, growling a bit and taking a few steps towards Wally as if to attack her.  Kaldur was between them in an instant, keeping Robin away from Wally.

 

“That is enough.  Robin, there is no need to attack Wally.”  Wally smirked and stuck her tongue out. “And there is no need for you to antagonize him, Wally.”  Robin pouted and opened his mouth to speak when the computer alerted them to two people coming through the Zeta tubes into the Watchtower.  Everyone looked over to see Batman step in, followed closely by Barry. Wally immediately stepped away from Robin, already knowing what they were here for.  Batman glanced between Wally and Robin, noting the look of rage on Robin’s face.

 

“Did something happen while I was gone?” he asked.  Wally hummed a bit and looked away, shrugging slightly.

 

“Robin doesn’t like me for hanging around Nightwing.  He also can’t handle short jokes.” Barry snorted a bit, but tried to cover it up when Batman looked at him.

 

“I’ll deal with Robin later.  For now, you need to come with us, Wally.  We have a lot to discuss.” Wally nodded and followed Batman and her uncle out of the room, back straight and purpose in her strides.  Dick watched her go, shoulders relaxed and a soft look in his eyes. Kaldur gave him a knowing look, a small smile on his face.

 

“Even after all this time, it still surprises me how much you and Wally love each other.  It is almost as if you two cannot live without the other. As if it was destiny you two met.”

 

“Yeah, well, I doubt anyone else could both keep me in line and fuel my desire to do something stupid at the same time.  When she was gone, it was like I lost my desire to even keep going. I was actually like that the first couple of years I was Robin.  Sure, I was the protege to Batman, but… that was about it.” Dick sighed softly, looking out the observation window at Earth. “I was simply out for revenge for my parents’ deaths.  But what would happen after I achieved that? I honestly didn’t know. Then, when I was 11…”

 

“You met Wally by pure happenstance.  I remember her saying that she first saw you when she was running a file to Batman in the place of Flash.”  Dick laughed a bit and smiled fondly.

 

“If she hadn’t been there that night, who knows how long it would have been until we met.  It was like… When I saw her, it was almost as if… Ugh, I don’t know how to describe that feeling she gave me when she smiled and immediately branded me as a friend.”  Kaldur smiled and patted his shoulder.

 

“To me, when she and I first met, it felt as if she had ignited a fire I didn’t know I had inside of me.  She seemed so trusting and happy to see someone else that was a friend.”

 

“Yeah, that’s it!  That’s the feeling!  It’s like she can see what makes you insecure about being who you are and just burns it away in favor of giving you the confidence you need.  Hell, after she retired and we found Roy, she managed to get him to calm down and clear his head enough to realize that he needed to take care of himself and he was his own person.”  Kaldur nodded and let out a small breath, glancing at Dick in thought before smirking a bit.

 

“I do have to admit, my friend.  If you two had not realized how you felt about each other, I probably would have fallen for her myself.  Perhaps I did fall for her, now that I think back on it.” Dick blinked then laughed and grinned widely.

 

“She had a major crush on you when she first met you!  She couldn’t stop blushing and stuttering around you!” Kaldur chuckled softly, shaking his head.

 

“I had a feeling that was why her face was red when you dragged her over to me.  She seemed embarrassed and couldn’t look me in the eye.” Dick laughed more, grinning widely and wrapping an arm around Kaldur’s shoulders.  He looked up to see some of the younger Team members gathered around them, eyes bright. Robin stood off to the side, arms crossed and a pout on his face but he was clearly listening in as well.  Bart grinned and took a small step forward.

 

“Do you guys have any other stories about her?  Kaldur never told us a lot of the old stories from when you guys were part of the Team.”  Dick smirked and looked over at Kaldur.

 

“Really?  You never told them our adventures?”  Kaldur shrugged and smiled.

 

“I thought I should not be the only one to tell those stories.  I was not the only one there.”

 

“Understandable.  So, where should we begin?”  Gar grinned and raised his hand.

 

“Start with the formation of the Team!  What happened that night?” Dick smiled and let out a breath, hands on his hips.

 

“Oh boy.  Now that’s a story… Let’s see…  It all started the day we were going to be allowed into the Hall of Justice for the first time.  Uh, ‘we’ being Kaldur, Roy, Wally, and myself. We didn’t have Conner, M’gann, or Artemis yet. Anyway, the League was called off for some emergency, but Superman had mentioned a fire at a facility called Cadmus.  Once the League was gone, we hacked into the League database to find info on Cadmus.”

 

“You guys  _ hacked  _ the League?!” Bart exclaimed, looking impressed.  Dick shrugged.

 

“It wasn’t that hard.  There wasn’t much info on Cadmus, so Wally and I decided to go check it out.  Kaldur came along to make sure we didn’t get ourselves killed.”

 

“Being the oldest in the room, I had to take  _ some  _ responsibility.”  Dick rolled his eyes and smiled before continuing.

 

“So, we get to Cadmus, rescue some scientists and find out that the real Cadmus was under the building that was on fire.  Man, we had  _ no  _ idea what we were getting ourselves into by going down that elevator shaft.”

 

“Yeah, I remember you making a stupid joke about being at the end of your rope!” came a voice from the other end of the room.  Everyone looked over to see Wally, a grin on her face as she walked over. “This guy and his stupid puns and made up words. We used his grapple to climb down as far as we could and he says ‘I’m at the end of my rope.’ like it’s some kind of great joke.”

 

“You laughed, don’t even lie.”  She stuck her tongue out and smirked.  He stuck his tongue out back at her. “I’ll bring back whelmed.  Don’t tempt me.”

 

“Ugh, please don’t.  Whelmed, aster, chalant.  We don’t need those back.”

 

“Wow, you’re definitely not feeling the aster.”  Wally pouted and shoved him playfully, causing him to laugh.  Another voice spoke up from nearby.

 

“Stop flirting and get on with the story.  I kinda want to hear it again, too.” Wally looked to see Conner and M’gann standing there.

 

“You two are one to talk, but whatever.  Anyway, we found out that the real Cadmus was making living weapons called Genomorphs.  Guardian was there and was being brainwashed, so naturally he tried to kill us. We managed to get away and found ourselves in the same room with Superboy.  He was stuck in a pod, so I let him out.”

 

“Yeah, and then he tried to kill us,” Dick said, smirking a bit.

 

“There was a lot of people trying to kill us that night.  So, we ended up captured, but Kaldur used some kind of weird telepathy thing to get Conner to help us escape!”

 

“I was lucky that Conner made that decision.  Had he not, we would not be here to tell the tale and perhaps none of you would be here either.”  Murmurs began rippling through the younger members, all sounding impressed.

 

“So, we manage to escape back up to the main building above the surface, but the main doctor took this thing called Blockbuster and transformed into this huge monster,” Dick said, smiling widely.

 

“It was like a boss fight or something!  Anyway, we pulled together a plan with the four of us who had never even worked together like that before and defeated Blockbuster.  We brought down a whole building on him. We saved the day and felt like heroes, so of course we were all in trouble with the League for leaving without telling anyone.”

 

“The lecture we got from Batman was brutal.  He almost banned us from going off on our own ever again,” Dick said, running his fingers through his hair.

 

“And it was a lecture you three had earned.  Finish your stories later. For now, we have to talk about Wally’s future.”  All eyes turned to see Batman standing there, Barry at his side. “You are all welcome to stay and listen.”  The Team members huddled around, eager to hear what would happen with Wally. “I have talked with Barry about Wally inheriting the Flash mantle.  He has agreed to let Wally have it.”

 

“I’m also willing to let her have my spot in the League.  If she wants that, too,” Barry added, smiling slightly. “She has a point.  I have kids now and if something happened to me, it would be devastating for Iris.”

 

“I’ll gladly take your spot on the League, but I’d like to request that you hold off on giving me League missions just yet.  I’d like to help out with Team missions for a while to get myself used to being back on the field. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

 

“I think that would be best to get you readjusted.  Barry will hand over his costume to you. Feel free to make any and all adjustments to it as you wish.  Until you feel you’re ready for League missions, Nightwing and Kaldur will give you your missions and you will report to them after each one.  Understood?” She nodded, Batman nodding as well before turning to leave. “Good. Dismissed.” Everyone watched Batman leave, Barry hesitating for a few moments before leaving as well.

 

“...He’s not happy that he has to give it up,” Wally said.  Dick glanced at her, forgetting that she could read people close to her like an open book.

 

“You were like that, too, when you hung up your cowl.”

 

“I know…”  Bart, sensing the tension in the air, grinned and spoke up.

 

“So, what happened after you got that lecture from Batman??  Did you guys get into major trouble or what?” Everyone seemed to shake themselves out of the seriousness of what just happened, instead pressing Kaldur, Wally, and Dick for more stories.  Wally smiled gratefully at Bart before getting right back into the story, excited to retell some of her favorite adventures when the Team had just started.


End file.
